If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.
Why everyone hates The Pitt character James Ogilvie, according to actor Lucas Iverson (and why he says it's okay!)
There are reasons why Ogilvie acts that way in The Pitt season 2.
Popverse's top stories
- After leaving DC in 2020, Stjepan Šejić reveals he’s drawing a new, secret project for the publisher
- Marvel Rivals strikes back at throwers and those who put bounties on them with threats of permabanning & "significant penalties"
- Livestream Critical Role, The Boys, and more panels from Seattle's ECCC 2026 free thanks to Signet Collectibles!
When The Pitt returned for its second season, it brought a couple of new faces to our screens. Unfortunately, none of those new doctors were played by George Clooney, but Lucas Iverson’s James character, James Ogilvie, has gotten almost as much attention. Unfortunately, it is because people hate him and his lack of bedside manner – but the actor says there are two good reasons for that.
Some of the most talked about moments from The Pitt Season 2 have been about Ogilvie and his apparent lack of any people skills. The fourth-year medical student has an extensive amount of medical knowledge at his disposal, but has appeared judgmental, dismissive, and occasionally rude to both patients and colleagues. In one much-talked-about episode, Ogilvie made comments and asked questions about a patient named Howard’s weight as he tried to diagnose their problem, which drew criticism from other characters and fans of the show.
However, this isn’t House. Ogilvie isn’t being mean because that’s his schtick. Lucas Iverson, in a recent interview, revealed the reasons why he thinks Ogilvie acts that way. Part of it comes down to self-preservation.
“I think that Ogilvie is really, actually quite soft,” Iverson said. “I think we have that in common, he and I. And I think that there’s two things that are getting in his way right now. He, by and large, views patients not as problems, but as opportunities to practice medicine. Howard is a great example. He thinks that he’s throwing out suggestions. He’s not mindful that hearing this could have harmful effects on Howard, and I think that it doesn’t really occur to him that there’s impact to the way he goes about this thing.”
However, he isn’t just eager to prove how smart he is. He’s also smart enough to know he needs some distance from his patients in this career. “I also think that Ogilvie really wants to keep himself safe. I think that there is an intentional detachment, because he knows how common grief and loss and suffering are in this line of work. He is set on emergency medicine, and he’s a smart kid. He knows what it takes to be a doctor, at least intellectually. And I think he’s wary of it, right? And I think if he were to allow himself to attach to a patient, and something were to happen, I think it would cost him and his mind too much, in a way that he is not sure he is able to recover from and continue on in the path.”
It is also important to remember that Ogilvie is very much at the beginning of his journey as a doctor, and he’ll have to, you know, develop with time, so maybe The Pitt fans should give him a chance.
Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to:
Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news
Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy
Let Popverse be your tour guide through the wilderness of pop culture
Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing.
Comments
Want to join the discussion? Please activate your account first.
Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email.