HowThe PittPulled Off Its Graphic Birth Scene — from Puppeteers to a Custom Rig with a Silicone Vaginal Canal

Mar. 15, 2025

Enuka Okuma in ‘The Pitt’.Photo:Max

Max

The Pitthasn’t shied away from realistic — and often graphic — medical procedures.

Other medical dramas have often depicted childbirth, but not to this level of graphic detail. Series creator R. Scott Gemmill toldVulturethat the show’s commitment to accurate medical portrayal is one ofThe Pitt’s core purposes.

“It’s really being cognizant of the reality of the medicine, trying to stick to it, trying to present it as authentically as possible,” he explained. “That’s why we’re doing it this way: not to cheat it.”

(L) Enuka Okuma and Mason McCulley in ‘The Pitt’.John Johnson/Max

John Johnson/Max

Director Quyen Tran agreed with Gemmill’s sentiments and revealed to the outlet that her own personal experience with childbirth was a driving force in portraying birth without any cuts.

Enuka Okuma’s character Natalie gives birth on ‘The Pitt’.Max

Despite making a few adjustments, like matching the prosthetics to Okuma’s skin tone and reshaping the belly, she and Tran still needed to make a few changes to prioritize Okuma’s comfort.

“I got in the rig and it didn’t feel great, because the chair didn’t allow the perfect marriage of the prosthetic with the actress. So we made adjustments," Tran recalled. “Round two, she got in and it still wasn’t right with the seat. She wasn’t comfortable, she couldn’t hold herself up,”

Enuka Okuma in ‘The Pitt’.Max

Because she knew the scene was going to be “mentally exhausting [and] physically exhausting,” Tran devised a plan to use a kneeling-style chair in order to give Okuma more support when she leaned over the prosthetic.

Okuma was also given an intimacy coordinator, even though the body on the gurney was a silicone model.

“Everyone understood it wasn’t me, but it’s still a vulnerable position to be there, with people kind of gawking,” Okuma explained. “I really, truly appreciated it. Even though we all know it’s make-believe! It’s just, ‘Let’s make this actress comfortable.'”

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The Pittreleases new episodes every Thursday on Max.

source: people.com