Before Katherine LaNasa’s breakout role in The Pitt, the actress made a small but iconic appearance on the hit sitcom Seinfeld.
In the sixth-season episode, titled “The Beard,” which aired in 1995, LaNasa played Sgt. Cathy Tierny, who initially flirted with Jerry but later put him through a lie detector test after he claimed he’d never watched Melrose Place.
Ironically, the Emmy-winning actress admitted she wasn’t an avid television viewer back in the day and had never seen an episode of either show.
Katherine LaNasa reflected on her experience of working on Seinfeld
Image credits: HBO Max
In an interview with Etalk, LaNasa revealed that she was “just starting out in television” when she booked a role on the hit sitcom. However, she was busy caring for her then-young son, Henry Hopper, as a single mother, following her divorce from Dennis Hopper in 1992.
“I just didn’t watch a lot of TV,” she confessed.
“I had never seen Seinfeld, nor had I seen Melrose Place, which is hilarious. Yes, I was living under a rock.”
Image credits: NBC
During the chat, LaNasa described her experience of working with the cast of Seinfeld as “funny” and “magical.”
The actress also singled out Jason Alexander, who played George Costanza, series co-creator Larry David, and writer Carol Leifer, as she enjoyed working with them.
“It was just a big bucket full of talent, and I was pinching myself. I couldn’t believe I was a part of it or witnessing it,” she added.
Katherine LaNasa also appeared in the hit sitcom Two and a Half Men
Image credits: CBS
In a separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter, LaNasa opened up about some of her earlier roles, including her stint as Lydia, the girlfriend of Charlie Sheen’s character in Two and a Half Men.
While the hit sitcom aired from 2003 to 2015, she only appeared in 4 episodes. She had similar short roles on shows such as Three Sisters, which lasted two seasons.
The 59-year-old also guest-starred in ER, the medical drama led by her eventual The Pitt co-star Noah Wyle.
She reflected on the uncertainty of her early career roles, stating, “This is my ninth series, so I’m pretty used to it. I never really know where we’re going.”
The Pitt star admitted she was in the dark about Nurse Dana’s role in season 2
Image credits: HBO Max
LaNasa, who channeled her personal battle with cancer into her role as Nurse Dana, delivered a breakout performance in the first season of The Pitt.
However, in Season 1, Dana was physically attacked by a disgruntled patient, and the actress was uncertain whether the storyline would result in her character being written out.
She revealed, “I was really hoping they wouldn’t fire me.”
“I was like, ‘I’m in my 50s, I finally got on something that really took off — please don’t let go of me now.’”
She was eventually confirmed to return for the new season, which sees Dana overcome the traumatic incident as she takes a new nurse, Emma, played by Laëtitia Hollard, under her wing.
LaNasa told People that Dana’s protectiveness towards Emma was her way of “making up for the punch” and described it as a “big theme” in the second season.
The storyline continues to expand in season 2 as the medical drama drops new episodes every Thursday.
The Pitt is currently streaming on HBO Max.
