A fan-favorite actor is returning for Season 3 of The Pitt. Jalen Thomas Brooks, who played Nurse Mateo Diaz across the first two seasons of the hit medical drama, will return to Mateo for the upcoming season, even though Season 2 significantly reduced his role.
At the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, Collider caught up to the actor to ask him about his involvement in The Pitt Season 3. “I will be there. I will be in Season 3,” Brooks replied. “I don’t know much, just like how everybody on that show never really knows,” he went on to admit.
“But what I do know is that the people behind The Pitt, and that whole creative team, they care a lot about what they’re doing. They’re so seasoned, and they have stories to tell — important ones, too. So, you’re going to continue to see stories of importance and see professionals and masters at class.”
What did Jalen Thomas Brooks do in Season 2 of The Pitt?
Jalen Thomas Brooks’ role as nurse Mateo Diaz in The Pitt Season 2 was significantly reduced because of filming conflicts with Off Campus (where he played the emotionally available teammate John Tucker). Because of this, he was missing from the first nine to eleven episodes of Season 2.
He returned in episode 12, “6:00 P.M.,” of the season. Upon his return, Mateo has transitioned from the day shift (as seen in Season 1) to the night shift, joining the staff led in part by Dr. Abbott (played by Shawn Hatosy).
Meanwhile, in Season 2 of The Pitt, the ER staff faces a major cyber threat that forces them to go completely analog, pushing the characters to rely on raw instincts and practical procedures.
Now that The Pitt is returning for another season, it remains to be seen how big a threat the team will face this time around, and how major Brooks’ role will be in the upcoming season.
Season 3 of The Pitt premieres on HBO Max in January 2027.