Shabana Azeez, known for her roles in The Pitt and The Airport Chaplain, has a unique perspective on pop culture. In a recent interview, she expressed that society should care less about it, given pressing global issues like war. Azeez admitted to breaking a US$75,000 skull rig while filming The Pitt, a medical drama on Max. She described faking drilling motions repeatedly before accidentally penetrating the rig's interior, made of styrofoam, causing a silent, horrifying moment on set.
Breaking the $75,000 skull rig
Azeez detailed the incident: "I only knew how tough it is to drill through an actual human skull because I’d talked to a bunch of doctors. So I start doing it like I would a human skull. But this thing on the inside is made of styrofoam or something. So I go clean into that guy’s head. And it’s just silent." She added that the adrenaline rush was worse than a car crash. The rig, valued at US$75,000, was damaged during the shoot.
From fake patient to airport chaplain
Before her acting career, Azeez worked as a simulated patient for medical schools, pretending to have conditions like appendicitis or a sick baby. She could cry on cue, which made her valuable for training scenarios. "Everybody thinks they can handle it, and then you start crying in front of them and they panic," she recalled. Her latest project, The Airport Chaplain, premieres on SBS and SBS On Demand in Australia on 26 August. She plays a chaplain running an airport, a role that involves navigating diverse human interactions.
Cringe-worthy celebrity encounters
Azeez shared a memorable run-in with Quinta Brunson, creator and star of Abbott Elementary. While filming The Pitt season one in Los Angeles, she saw Brunson walk past and screamed, falling to her knees. Co-star Jalen Thomas Brooks rushed out, asking what happened. "It was just Quinta Brunson walking past me," Azeez said.
Controversial pop culture opinion
Azeez believes pop culture is overemphasized. "I think we should care less about pop culture. There’s war, there are things happening in the world that matter. And then there are people being like, ‘Who wore this dress better?’ Who cares?" She acknowledged that art and comedy have value, but superficial discussions are a waste of time. Her own projects aim for impact: her first film addressed coercive control, her second focused on queer joy, and The Pitt tackles gun control and violence against healthcare workers.
Secret talents and nemeses
Azeez attempted juggling with camera lens caps and paper but did not succeed. She named her nemesis as "me from five minutes ago," citing the difficulty of living with herself. She also admitted to lying frequently, including claiming to have three birthdays during the filming of The Airport Chaplain. "By the time it was actually my birthday, nobody cared," she said.
