“It's completely fake” - The Pitt star Taylor Dearden explains how they pulled off the delivery scene

Taylor Dearden plays Dr. Mel King in The Pitt, the standout Max medical drama that unfolds one chaotic hospital shift over 15 real-time episodes. By Episode 11, Mel has already proven herself as one of the ER’s most composed and capable new doctors. But that hour gives her something different—something rare for an emergency department.

A birth. In the middle of triaging trauma cases and fighting off emotional exhaustion, Mel is called in to assist during a high-risk delivery. What plays out is one of the most graphic, realistic childbirth scenes shown on TV, complete with intense prosthetics, staged bodily fluids, and a puppet rigged to look like a newborn.

The moment itself is brief, but the realism of the scene had viewers doing a double take—and made many wonder how the production pulled it off.

As it turns out, that delivery wasn’t real in any way, shape, or form. Speaking to Collider in an interview published on April 4, 2025, Dearden explained exactly how the crew staged the scene using detailed prosthetics, a rigged model, and robotic precision.

“It’s completely fake,” she said. “Even fake toes with nail polish.”

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Taylor Dearden explains the prosthetics inside The Pitt’s graphic birth scene

The Pitt (Image via Max)

The birth scene in The Pitt episode 11 stood out for its intensity and realism, and Taylor Dearden, who plays Dr. Mel King, broke down exactly how it was pulled off. Speaking to Collider, Dearden revealed that the entire setup was created using a prosthetic rig designed by a puppet team.

“It was actually fascinating for us because it was a puppet team that did it,” she said. “You’re already like, ‘Puppets?’”

The rig was more elaborate than most might expect. The production team built a fully prosthetic body, from belly to feet, and even included fake toes with nail polish. The actress who played the surrogate, Enuka Okuma, had to be hoisted into the prosthetic build and remained in that position for the shoot. According to Dearden, the seat was uncomfortable, and Okuma had to sit in it for hours during filming.

Despite the setup being entirely artificial, Dearden explained, “They treated it like it was her.”

To help the cast adjust to how graphic and technical the scene would be, producers invited them to view the rig on a day off before the episode was shot.

“I’m so glad I did that,” Dearden said. “Because they also rigged up what the blood would look like coming out and got me to hold the robot baby.”

The pre-visit helped her mentally prepare for how real everything would look once they were on set.

The team also brought in an intimacy coordinator to ensure safety and comfort throughout the process, something Dearden appreciated given the physical demands of the scene.

The Pitt (Image via Max)

Every detail was considered down to the blood placement and how it would move with the baby.

She said the prosthetic was “full-frontal and everything is anatomically correct.”

Dearden said the makeup department was so convincing, there were moments where even she forgot it was fake. During one take involving blood, she admitted,

“Oh, got a little dizzy! Right, right, it’s fake,” because of how real it all felt in the moment.

Beyond the logistics, the moment carried meaning for Mel as a character. Dearden noted that giving birth in the ER is rare, and it became even more significant for Mel after she had just lost a seven-year-old drowning victim. The contrast of that tragedy followed by a birth created a powerful emotional shift.

“Especially being in the emergency room… it is the happiest moment,” she explained.

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Watch The Pitt on Max.