{"id":262634,"date":"2026-09-12T15:34:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-12T15:34:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/12\/the-pitts-katherine-lanasa-says-she-wouldnt-have-played-dana-the-same-way-without-cancer-battle\/"},"modified":"2026-09-12T15:34:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T15:34:58","slug":"the-pitts-katherine-lanasa-says-she-wouldnt-have-played-dana-the-same-way-without-cancer-battle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/12\/the-pitts-katherine-lanasa-says-she-wouldnt-have-played-dana-the-same-way-without-cancer-battle\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pitt\u2019s Katherine LaNasa Says She Wouldn\u2019t Have Played Dana the Same Way Without Cancer Battle"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The Pitt<\/em><\/a>\u2019s Katherine LaNasa<\/strong> relied on some of the most difficult moments of her personal life to help bring her beloved character Dana to life \u2014 including her battle with breast cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I had cancer, I was really surprised at how kind the nurses were to me in that hospital and \u2014 and just in general, everyone at Piedmont in Atlanta [were] incredibly kind and it mattered so much,\u201d LaNasa, 59, exclusively told Us<\/em> on Wednesday, September 9, while discussing her new partnership with Novartis<\/a> on the \u201cYour Attention, Please\u201d campaign<\/a> to encourage women to prioritize their health via annual screenings and with the knowledge that early detection can save lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the little details mattered, whether they brought you a warm blanket before a screening or if they really took the time that maybe,\u201d she continued. \u201cMaybe the doctor took extra time to explain what was happening, [or] another nurse took extra time to explain what was happening. All those little considerations and those moments of compassion mattered so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

LeNasa was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in February 2023, writing in an essay for Women\u2019s Health<\/em><\/a> that her diagnosis \u201chit her like a ton of bricks.\u201d She subsequently underwent surgery and three weeks of daily radiation treatments, suffering some complications and making several visits to the emergency room before she was diagnosed cancer-free.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was able to bring that into Dana \u2014 that knowledge. And also, I was really connected with how scary it is going into the hospital when you\u2019re getting radiation,\u201d she told Us<\/em>. \u201cYou\u2019re going to the hospital regularly, and so I got to be in touch with what it felt like to be a patient. I think that informed the way I played Dana as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Fans met LaNasa\u2019s tough-love matriarch and charge nurse Dana during the hit HBO series\u2019 January 9, 2025, debut. The Pitt<\/em> follows a group of employees at a fictional Pittsburgh hospital\u2019s ER working a single 15-hour shift \u2014 one hour per episode.<\/p>\n

In addition to Dana, the series is led by Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle<\/strong><\/a>), Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball<\/strong><\/a>), Dr. Mohan (Supriya Ganesh<\/strong>), Dr. McKay (Fiona Dourif<\/strong>), Dr. King (Taylor Dearden<\/strong>), Dr. Santos (Isa Briones)<\/strong>, Dr. Whitaker (Gerran Howell)<\/strong> and Javadi (Shabana Azeez<\/strong>). (Ganesh has since left the series<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

LaNasa\u2019s character steers the ship as the staff navigate the various ups and downs of emergency care, including a pediatric drowning death, a mass shooting, fentanyl overdoses, ICE raids and more. Dana is physically attacked by a disgruntled patient in season 1, administers a rape kit<\/a> and spars with Dr. Robby<\/a> as he battles PTSD.<\/p>\n

The actress told Us<\/em> that it was her experience fighting cancer that made it possible for her to play such a versatile character who is strong, steadfast and no-nonsense yet soft enough to retain her humanity through it all.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe \u2018both sides\u2019 of [my cancer battle] really helped me play the character,\u201d she explained. \u201cI don\u2019t think I would have been able to play this part in this way and to know how to do it if I hadn\u2019t had that experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>Shannen Doherty Shares Brain Surgery Video Amid Cancer Battle: ‘Petrified’<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tShannen Doherty is giving her followers a no-holds-barred look inside her battle with cancer. The 52-year-old Beverly Hills, 90210, alum\u2014 who revealed earlier this month that her stage IV breast cancer had spread to her brain \u2014 shared an Instagram video on Wednesday, June 14, of herself prepping for brain surgery in January. \u201cJanuary 16, [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

LaNasa\u2019s willingness to revisit a difficult time in her life has certainly paid off \u2014 she took home the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in September 2025 for her portrayal.<\/p>\n

\u201c[It\u2019s an] incredible silver lining,\u201d she says of her ability to play Dana. \u201cI didn\u2019t know it until I got to the set. And it was this big hospital set. Our set is incredibly immersive \u2014 it feels very, very real. There\u2019s no end to it. You walk in and it is literally like you\u2019re on the floor of an emergency department. And I was like, \u201cOh wow, okay.\u2019 It made me feel a little bit stressed, but it also just clicked right then.\u201d<\/p>\n

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