Photo from Instagram/@jaybeetadena
Former satellite engineer will play Dr. Reed Thomas in HBO Max medical drama
LOS ANGELES — Filipino American actor JB Tadena has joined the recurring cast of HBO Max’s “The Pitt” for its third season, playing Dr. Reed Thomas, a physician at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center.
Tadena is among seven recurring guest stars added for the new season, alongside Stephen Chang, Barry Clifton, Chris Diamantopoulos, Lawrence Kao, Brent Sexton and Hannah Ware.
His casting adds another performer of Filipino heritage to the Emmy-winning medical drama. Isa Briones plays Dr. Trinity Santos, while Kristin Villanueva and Amielynn Abellera portray nurses Princess Dela Cruz and Perlah Alawi. Their characters have also spoken Tagalog on the series.
Born in Los Angeles and raised in the Washington, D.C., area, Tadena studied computer engineering at Penn State University and worked as a satellite engineer before pursuing acting. His television credits include “Kung Fu,” “The Cleaning Lady,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Westworld” and “SEAL Team.”
Created by R. Scott Gemmill and starring Noah Wyle as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, “The Pitt” follows doctors, nurses and patients during a single emergency-room shift, with each episode advancing the story roughly one hour.
Season 3 is scheduled to premiere in January 2027 and is set on Nov. 12, 2026. The series won five Emmys in 2025, including outstanding drama series.
Tadena is also part of the cast of David Fincher’s “The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth,” starring Brad Pitt and written by Quentin Tarantino.
