If you’ve spent the past year watching great television, chances are you’ve spent more time with Luke Tennie than you realize.
Whether he’s playing Sean on Apple TV+’s “Shrinking,” Dr. Cruz Henderson on HBO Max’s “The Pitt,” or Dom on ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” Tennie has quietly become a familiar face across some of the most acclaimed and widely discussed series currently on television. The roles are dramatically different, but they share one common thread: each showcases an actor whose presence tends to linger long after a scene ends.
It’s a remarkable run for any actor, particularly when the characters couldn’t be more different. “Shrinking,” created by Bill Lawrence, Brett Goldstein, and Jason Segel, blends comedy and grief through its ensemble led by Segel, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Christa Miller, Michael Urie, and Lukita Maxwell. Meanwhile, “The Pitt,” led by Noah Wyle and created by R. Scott Gemmill, has quickly established itself as one of television’s most acclaimed dramas thanks to its intense real-time storytelling and standout ensemble cast. Both series recently completed critically acclaimed seasons and have become appointment viewing for audiences looking for some of the strongest writing and performances on television.
As someone who watches far too much television for a living, it isn’t often that I find myself interviewing an actor who happens to be appearing on two of my favorite shows at the same time. What surprised me even more, however, was how quickly our conversation moved beyond the usual discussion of character arcs and upcoming seasons. Over the course of an extended interview, Tennie spoke candidly about improvising alongside Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, mastering the medical terminology required for “The Pitt,” learning from observing Noah Wyle, and the collaborative environments that have made both productions so successful.
The conversation also took an unexpected turn into a subject that resonates deeply with me personally. While discussing representation on screen, Tennie reflected on a recent experience working alongside Korean and Korean American performers on an upcoming “Call of Duty” project, where he was introduced to the concept of the “bamboo ceiling.” What followed was one of the most thoughtful discussions I’ve had in recent memory about opportunity, visibility, and the importance of seeing people occupy roles that have long existed in real life but haven’t always been reflected on screen.
Throughout our conversation, Tennie remained remarkably humble about his recent success. Yet listening to him discuss performance, preparation, and the responsibility that comes with portraying characters audiences can look up to, it’s easy to understand why creators continue to trust him with increasingly meaningful roles. I spoke with Tennie about balancing multiple hit series, the evolution of Sean and Cruz, learning from Noah Wyle, improvising alongside Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, the collaborative culture behind “Shrinking,” and why the late great Andre Braugher continues to serve as a guiding light for the roles he chooses today.
Awards Focus: I’m Ben with Awards Focus. It’s great to talk to you. Somehow, you’re currently on two of my favorite shows on television.
Luke Tennie: Man, I’m trying to make you get tired of me, but thank you. That’s very kind. Whichever shows they are, I’m happy to be a part of them.
AF: I’m talking specifically about “Shrinking” and “The Pitt.” What has it been like to find yourself on two of television’s biggest and most acclaimed shows at the same time?
Tennie: I think it feels kind of like hitting the lottery. It feels good. I feel very honored and blessed.
The main thing that’s cool for me, though, is that I really love my job. I love acting, and I’ve recently discovered that each one of these shows challenges me in different ways. “Shrinking” requires you to be on your toes the whole time. You’ve got these titans of comedy who have been doing this for years, lobbing some of the funniest stuff at you that’s not even in the script, and the script is already good. Somehow I have to be in there, not laugh, and also contribute my share for my character. It’s very challenging for me as somebody who primarily trained in drama.
Then on “The Pitt,” I feel like I get to fulfill something I never really had the opportunity to do before, which is work on the skill set I refined through that training. I’m a color in a giant painting. I’m somebody running support for the main team. As the night shift, you see us a lot less than the day shift. I feel like we’re helping hold up some of the structures that really uplift and empower the day shift, and being part of that is awesome.
I also know that’s where I get to use a lot of what I trained to do. It feels fulfilling in that sense, and challenging because I get to use so much of the skill set I’ve worked on as a performer. I couldn’t be happier, and I feel very fulfilled.
AF: Practically speaking, are you filming these shows concurrently, or are you typically finishing one season before moving on to the next?
Tennie: The first round was really kind of serendipitous. “Shrinking” wrapped, then “Abbott Elementary” started. As soon as that had a hiatus, “The Pitt” started. As soon as that had a hiatus, “Abbott” started again, and then as soon as that stopped, “The Pitt” finished.
You can’t roll a die and get odds like that. The stars aligned. So in some serendipitous, kismet, blessing-filled way, that’s how it started.
Now, because I’ve had the pleasure of being on those shows, we’re trying to work some stuff out. The schedules are a little conflicting now. But what’s cool is that’s not really my job. My job is to show up, be prepared, be respectful, and deliver a compelling performance.
What’s really cool is that since it’s all at Warner Bros., they can talk amongst themselves and see if they can make it work. They’re going to make it work, and I’m very grateful that they’re even considering little old me bouncing from set to set.
AF: Sean comes with a lot of trauma and baggage, and even this season he’s revisiting some of that through his relationship with Marisol. What do you need to do as an actor to step into that mindset, especially during some of the heavier scenes?
Tennie: What’s very exciting for me is being able to do what I trained to do.
There’s this huge thing in my mind from growing up. Even the media I consumed. I watched a lot of anime centered around people trying to improve themselves, a lot of training. What’s cool about anime is it’s never a montage. The training is the show. The show is about improvement.
That was my entire college experience, and it’s also been my experience throughout my career, figuring out how to nitpick, fine tune, and improve.
So when it comes to Sean’s state of mind, I finally feel like I have the skills to build a nuanced and specific world. I don’t need to use my own life experience for Sean. He has a specific, curated, cultivated one that’s a jumping-off point for me to step into and execute in his reality, as opposed to me trying to think about what hurt my feelings, where I was in third grade, or what it was like when I broke up with my girlfriend.
That’s not knocking actors who do that, but I ain’t trying to mix me into it. Those things stay separate, and my training is what allowed me to create a system to do that.
Then with someone like Cruz, that character is really nice to step into the mindset of. He knows what’s going down. He’s a very competent, calm, collected person. So stepping into that feels quite nice.
It’s actually a pretty cool mental shift from Sean into Cruz because, after doubting myself between action and cut, I go to being extremely sure-footed and confident between actions.
AF: You mentioned the amount of improvisation that happens on “Shrinking.” Working opposite performers like Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, have you reached a point where you feel comfortable jumping into that process with them?
Tennie: At their level? I’m going to say no. I really don’t think I am as sharp.
In the first few takes, I kind of eat it. I’m a little self-conscious about my contribution, whereas even if something doesn’t make the cut, if Jason’s going to try something, he always tries it one hundred percent.
My challenge for myself these past two seasons, and this is where I really started to notice that I could contribute, was realizing I needed to make sure it was my character and not Luke as the actor feeling weird and not fully committing. I need to commit to the improvisation and really understand who my character is.
So eighty percent of the time I used to just kind of eat it, and now I’m at ninety-five percent, sending it fully.
I’m working a lot in percentages here, so bear with me, but it feels like every time we get a script, by the time we’ve shot the scene, forty percent of it is completely different. But it’s all true. It’s never like we’re rewriting who these people are. It’s getting further into who they are.
It’s really exciting. You go home a little tired after your brain works that hard.
AF: Bill Lawrence has talked about writing “Shrinking” in three-season arcs, and by the end of Season 3, we see many of these characters moving into new phases of their lives. Without spoiling anything, where would you most like to see Sean go in future seasons?
Tennie: A favorite place for my mind to linger, in terms of the media I love, is watching characters evolve from a comfortable circumstance into one that’s completely different.
Watching Will from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” end up somewhere unfamiliar. Watching someone like “Naruto,” who’s really comfortable in the Hidden Leaf Village, step out on a mission and be terrified for the first time.
For Sean, what I’d love to see is what it’s going to be like for him to maintain his relationship with Jimmy if Jimmy isn’t his therapist anymore. Where does that relationship stand? Is it a friendship? If it is a friendship, is it equal? If it’s equal, is Jimmy training at Sean’s gym? Is Sean playing pickleball with Jimmy?
What’s the status of his relationships with the other people in his life? Derek was previously an investor, but now he’s sort of a retired mentor. Coffee, dinner. How do those relationships continue?
As a fan of television, that’s something I can’t wait to see: something familiar for the viewer being the character, and something completely unfamiliar being the new circumstance the character is thrust into.
AF: Switching over to “The Pitt,” fans have become incredibly attached to the night shift characters. I know Season 3 is already getting underway. Is there anything you can tease about what’s next for Cruz?
Tennie: I just got the script. I haven’t read it yet, but it is my understanding that they’re aware of how badly people want to see the night shift.
I don’t know if they’ve created something specific for the night shift, but I know the night shift is back. I also know they have to maintain a certain sense of honesty on that show because any sort of disingenuous, melodramatic writing would kind of sour it. That was the draw. It was a twist on the procedural.
The reason Season 1 was so impactful is because of what that day was. The reason Season 2 was so impactful is because of what that day was. It’s a special day.
Sometimes when I see criticism of film and television, people ask, “Is that really realistic?” The reason we’re watching this moment is because it’s exceptional. The writers on “The Pitt” are crafting something exceptional. It’s going to require some commitment from the viewer to understand that the reason you’re watching this day is because it means something.
Last time, the whole arc was Robbie and whether he was going to come out of it alive. Now there might be some new theme for them to explore, and I, for one, am just happy to be a part of it.
AF: You mentioned Noah Wyle. While you don’t share many scenes with him, he’s one of the great television actors of his generation. Are there things you’ve learned from him simply by observing him work?
Tennie: Absolutely. There’s stuff I learned from him through the screen growing up.
My wife has done me the great honor of watching some TV shows she really didn’t think she would be into. I told her, “I know you. You’re going to enjoy this.” “ER,” “Dexter”—she was like, “Really?” Then she became completely obsessed.
In between all that, she told me, “You need to watch ‘Falling Skies.'” What’s so cool about Noah is that this guy can really ground a medical world and make everything seem real, and when aliens are attacking Earth, he can do the same thing.
It’s something about his commitment to the circumstances and the reality of the world. There’s something about him not underselling what’s going on. That’s the first thing any actor can learn from the great Noah Wyle.
His commitment and clarity really communicate through the screen who he is. As a performer, I want to be able to do the same thing. When I see him on set, I pay close attention to how he speaks and how he moves because those are the only two things the viewer sees: movement and what the character is saying.
The way he turns periods into commas, the way he turns semicolons into these breathless suggestions, the way he can take a huge wall of text and make it seem conversational, almost like two sentences when it’s really ten. That is my technique for pulling off competence as someone playing a doctor.
There’s an effortlessness when it rolls off the tongue that Noah has, and Cruz is my attempt at imitating somebody who has been doing that for however many years Noah’s been doing it.
AF: And is that medical jargon, that style of script, more difficult to memorize and internalize than the dialogue you’re working with on “Abbott” or “Shrinking”?
Tennie: I find it’s more challenging for me when things are up for discussion. On “Shrinking,” we’ll have a wonderfully written script and Bill will still approach you and say, “Hey, how do you want to say this? What’s the most natural way for you to say it?” He wants your voice in the character. And that’s challenging for me. Not for everyone, but for me. Because when I commit something to memory and come to set, and he wants to know what I think, now I have to rewrite what I memorized with the same intention, sell it, and be open to improv. As somebody who is kind of a rigid performer, and some people might disagree, I think of myself as very specific and pointed. I don’t see myself as a Sam Rockwell with the loose, easy, performative thing. I’m very precise, which is why I think a lot of the characters I play have that in common.
But when I’m on “The Pitt,” there’s really no wiggle room in how you pronounce things. It becomes a muscle memory thing for me vocally. I can literally picture the consonants and vowels linking together so that I can say, “hemolytic anemia, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets.” The fact that that’s still never left my mind is evidence that what they’ve done by helping us drill it is get us to the point where we may have said that phrase as many times as a real doctor. It’s the first time you’re saying it on “The Pitt,” but the opposite is true. You’ve said it a hundred times, and this is just number 101.
AF: Based on that, is there a scene from the most recent season of “Shrinking” where you felt your contribution not only changed the scene from what you first imagined when you read it, but also influenced the performances around you?
Tennie: Season 2 is the best example I can think of. I had a lot of time with one particular scene. It was from the hospital where Sean gets high out of his mind after hurting himself, and in that scene he kind of ends up roasting everyone, which is something he doesn’t normally do, but the pain reliever is like a truth serum. I remember the script being so good, so exceptional. I had the whole thing memorized. I had about a week and a half with it. I came with choices. I researched what drug might make me feel that way and what the consensus was on that. I’m an actor’s actor. I like to do the extra nitty-gritty. By the time I laid down in that bed, I had everything completely memorized, and then all of a sudden this mutation started to happen in the scene, which was so exciting.
I’m in the bed. The actress who plays my mother, Mimi, is to my right. I’ve got Jason here. We’ve got the rest of the cast around. Sean is talking to Paul, and he says, “Hey, if you need a catheter, I know the guy who can put it in. It’s not going to hurt.” What is he talking about? Take three comes along and I name the guy. I say, “Yeah, his name’s Lawrence,” all high and all that. Then Jason looks to Mimi and says, “Mimi, when he says that, you say, ‘Lawrence is imaginary.'” And she goes, “Okay.” Action. We do it. Then I’m over here going, “His name’s Lawrence.” And then Mimi lands it: “Lawrence is imaginary.” Jason goes, “Okay, take four. You give the ‘uh-uh, shush baby, it’s okay.'” And now we have this scene lit.
That evolved from me finally not eating the improv and committing, and learning how to play the way Jason plays. Now Jason’s over here conducting. He’s got this thing going on. It looks like Mickey Mouse in “Fantasia,” directing everything. He’s a writer on set. Bill’s in the back, another writer on set. Randall, the director, is at the helm just catching magic. That was one of my favorite scenes. It was one of the few times I remember being able to contribute and have it actually make it into the cut. There are tons of times where I contribute and it doesn’t make the cut, but it’s still in the genetic material of the scene. That’s just part of the process of making television versus live theater. It’s one of those incredible moments to be present for, getting to be part of a system that existed long before you pulled up. I know this is how Jason used to work with Judd on those comedy movies. Now he’s facilitating the same thing on this TV show, and I get to be part of it.
AF: In seeing interviews or FYC events outside of the show, it really looks like the cast has nothing but love for each other. What do you think has most contributed to that dynamic?
Tennie: First, it’s going to be Brett and Debbie. Brett and Debbie cast the show, and I don’t know how they have a detector for professionalism and kindness. It seems like their job should just be to cast good actors, and some people are really good actors and not good people. How did they cast one of TV’s best comedies with eight regulars and have every one of these people show up to work ready to play, with a good attitude and a good spirit? It starts there.
The second thing, I think, is commitment, which I talked about a little earlier in the context of Noah. No one is in there doubting whether or not their performance matters. We all know we’re contributing something. We all have verification that we are necessary. And when we have that understanding, the result is that now I can commit fully. I don’t have to go, “Well, I just work here.” I can commit fully because that is the lifeblood of what makes the show electric.
And then I think the third thing is I don’t think you can make a really great comedy with actors who aren’t having fun. For comedy, having fun is not a bonus. It’s a requirement. It’s like a wonderfully seared steak. It’s got lovely aromatics, rosemary, thyme, some garlic if you will, perhaps a side of cheesy mashed potatoes, perhaps a side of your favorite green, sautéed spinach, maybe some broccoli rabe. I’m getting hungry. But you cut into that steak and there’s no salt. There’s no way that will be a satisfying experience. You have everything there, but there’s no flavor. Fun is our flavor. That right there is the reason why you and everyone else watching the show can intuit whether we’re having fun. That’s our salt, and I hope you like it.
AF: You mentioned that feeling of verification and validation. How quickly did that happen for you? You’re walking onto a set with Jason Segel and Harrison Ford. Was there a moment where you realized, “Oh, I do belong here. I am seen and valued”?
Tennie: For me, the first day I worked was in Episode 1. It was every Sean MMA fight sequence at the gym and every therapy scene that episode that took place on the stoop in front of the rig. The blue slushies, when they see Brian pumping gas, all of that was that day for me.
Those scenes are all kind of dramatic. Jason’s really got the comedy in those. I didn’t feel a stitch of nerves. Day one, I’m in my bag. I know exactly what to do. I’ve trained for this moment. I’m excited. I feel the electricity in my fingertips, but I’m not nervous. I feel like I could learn. I could improve. But I don’t feel like I could fail today.
Then my next day, we have our scene where we run to support Alice at her soccer game. When we get there, I didn’t realize how this show worked yet. I didn’t realize Jason was going to be contributing all these nuanced, funny moments from the sideline while we’re cheering her on. This actually got cut, but initially Jimmy hurts his ankle and I fireman-carry Jason, which is really funny. I actually have footage of it that my stunt double recorded for me. I should post that. I carried him, I set him down, I was like, “Thanks, pal,” and he hobbles off. It was a great bit. He’s getting laughs from everyone on the bleachers.
But then he starts cheering for Alice and he’s being hilarious. The camera’s on us and I’m trying not to break. I don’t remember everything he’s saying. I thought it might help me not break if I participated. It was a theory of mine. I hear him say, “Yeah, let’s go Alice. Let’s go. Good D. Really good D, Alice. That’s great D.” And I’m over here thinking, does he know that sounds a little off?
So I say to him, in character, “Don’t say that.”
And he goes, “Oh, okay. Why?”
And I go, “I’ll tell you later.”
Then he giggled and went, “Wait, wait, wait. Okay, cut. Let’s take this again.”
Now I was terrified. I thought he stopped the scene because I made a potty-humor joke and that I was the worst person in the world for trying to get a laugh. But he says, “Okay, you say ‘don’t say that.’ I’m going to say ‘why?’ You say ‘I’ll tell you later,’ and then stay on your toes.”
So we do the scene again.
“Don’t say that.”
“Oh, why not?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
Then he keeps cheering. “Yeah, Alice. Yeah.”
And then he looks at me and I go, “Yeah.”
And he goes, “Okay, what do I say?”
I’m like, “Try ‘defense.'”
“Oh, defense. Yeah, Alice. Defense. Defense.”
And now I’m going, “Defense.”
We look back at the bleachers. Everybody: “Defense, defense.”
And then I went, oh, this is how the show works. I should try this stuff.
The show comes out and none of that is in it. It’s a montage. We cut all of it. But I remember that day as me first being afraid that trying to contribute wasn’t my place, and then learning through Jason’s actions that all we’re trying to do is figure out how to make this show warm, funny, and honest.
Why wouldn’t a dad who’s cheering for his daughter say the wrong thing, especially Jimmy after three seasons?
That is what changed my mentality. Oh, I do belong here, and I should be contributing.
AF: That’s a fantastic anecdote. You’re playing a war veteran and small business owner on “Shrinking,” and on “The Pitt” you’re playing a doctor. These aren’t roles Black actors have always been given the opportunity to play. How much responsibility do you feel, both as an actor and as a Black man, knowing how many people may see themselves in these characters?
Tennie: First, it felt like there was a compliment in there, so I’m going to thank you. That was lovely.
Also, if I can spotlight some stellar Asian performers I’ve had the pleasure of working with, last week I got to announce with the rest of the gang that I’m in “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.” It’s set in South Korea, and I play a U.S. lieutenant who’s in charge of a platoon of South Korean soldiers. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the best actors of my entire life on that project. These guys come to work to play, but there are no trailers. We just sit and talk.
There was a phrase I had never heard before that I heard a lot of these guys kick around: “bamboo ceiling.”
AF: Yep.
Tennie: You’re nodding. You’re familiar with the phrase. It knocked me on my back when I heard it. I knew what it meant. And then I thought, me and other African American actors, we have our isms and our phrases.
I was looking around at excellence and greatness, and we were sharing our perspectives on what it’s like in this business as non-white performers, trying to tell stories that we feel will help and uplift our people. We all got to sit around that table and be grateful that all of these parts fit that requirement. These men were fighting for their nation.
When I look at my résumé over the past few years, my eyes get glassy because all I ever wanted to do, even before I had kids, was follow the example of the late, great Andre Braugher, who made a commitment. He said he didn’t want to play parts that his kids couldn’t look up to.
That’s a tall order. And to have a career like he had with that restriction, as a Black man, even though he was Juilliard-trained, he knew he was saying no to money and fame. He was only saying yes to things that he knew his kids could look up to and admire.
I heard that and thought, I don’t know if that’s me. I might play the gangbanger to eat.
But it seems as though I haven’t had to. And even when I did, I got to play an awesome spin on it. I played a gangbanger years ago who was a closeted pacifist, who quoted Gandhi to his friends while trying to turn them away from violence.
We’re in a new age. I really do feel like now more than ever there’s a great opportunity for not just African American performers, but, as I shared with you, all my new Korean and Korean American friends I met on “Call of Duty.” We all see potential.
The reason why is they were pointing out people like Steven Yeun, who paved the way, the same way I pointed out Andre Braugher, who paved the way. They were pointing out more actors they admire from Korea and from America who are Korean, and I was doing the same.
We’re in a new age. I do think the reason people have been able to resonate with these parts I’ve had the honor and privilege of playing is because of that as well. We’ve seen these people in these positions, just not televised. Now they’re being televised, and people are recognizing the truth and saying, “Ah, that’s why that story feels so real.”
AF: And Luke, you’re part of that new age. As you mentioned, not just your kids, but a whole generation of Black faces are going to watch and say, “I can do that.” And an actor as well. I think it’s wonderful work. I really appreciate your time. I hope I get to meet you in the near future.
Tennie: Same, Ben. I’m looking forward to it. You’re good at this, man.
AF: I appreciate that compliment too. Appreciate you. Thank you so much.