In the midst of celebrating the 13 nominations for The Pitt, Noah Wyle addressed the exit of Tracy Ifeachor.
The actress who portrayed Dr. Collins in Season 1 posted a slightly cryptic message last week saying it was “a blessing” to participate on the show. She also called it an “absolute privilege to play Dr. Heather Collins in such a groundbreaking season and piece.” Deadline later confirmed she would not be returning for season 2.
Wyle acknowledged to Deadline that her departure simply came down to story.
“I mean, we’ve all been sort of amused by the speculation about what everybody thinks might be a reason,” the actor continued. “But truthfully, we loved the actress. We enjoyed having her with us very much. She’s gotten really big and we will miss her.”
Collins suffered a miscarriage halfway through the first season and was absent from the final episodes. It was implied early on that she and Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch’s (Noah Wyle) were once in a relationship.
On Tuesday, HBO Max’s hit The Pitt earned 13 nominations on Tuesday, including nods for Outstanding Drama and Outstanding Actor for Noah Wyle.
The freshman drama also logged nominations for supporting actress (Katherine LaNasa), guest actor (Shawn Hatosy), directing (John Wells and Amanda Marsalis), writing (Joe Sachs and R. Scott Gemmill), sound editing and casting, among others.
Production is underway on Season 2 on The Pitt, which is shot on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, CA with exteriors shot on location in Pittsburgh, PA. Season 2 will premiere in January 2026.
