Shabana Azeez (The Pitt) In Conversation with Kat Hoyos

Host(s)

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  Shabana Azeez

  Shabana Azeez has quickly established herself as one of the most exciting actors to watch with her undeniable talent and magnetic screen presence.  As a breakout star of HBO Max’s Emmy-winning hit series, THE PITT, she can be seen reprising her role as “Victoria Javadi” in the second season which is currently streaming on Max in the USA, Binge in Australia and a number of other platforms around the world. The series has been lauded by audiences and critics alike and Shabana’s work has regularly been singled out for being both nuanced and engaging. The series has garnered multiple awards for its successful first season including the Emmy for ‘Outstanding Drama Series’, a Golden Globe for ‘Best Television Series – Drama’, a Critics Choice Award for ‘Best Drama Series’, an Actor Award for ‘Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series’, multiple TCA Awards and AFI recognition for ‘TV Programs of the Year,’ among others. She recently wrapped production on SBS’s new drama, THE AIRPORT CHAPLAIN. The eight-part series stars Shabana opposite Hugo Weaving and captures the high-stakes world of a bustling international airport, told through the struggles and triumphs of the workers who keep it running. Recently in film, she voiced the lead character of “Saira” in the animated feature film LESBIAN SPACE PRINCESS which was selected for the 2025 Berlinale where it won the Teddy Award, an international film award that recognizes films with LGBTQIA+ topics. The film was recently honored with an AACTA Award for ‘Best Indie Film’. Previously in film, she starred as “Irene” in the feature film, BIRDEATER, for which she was awarded ‘Best Actress’ by the Australian Film Critics Association. The film also won the AACTA for ‘Best Independent Feature Film’, the audience award for ‘Best Australian Narrative Feature at Sydney Film Festival’ and had sold out screenings at Melbourne International Film Festival prior to a very well-received release in the USA at SXSW. Shabana can also be seen in a number of other feature films, short films and web series. She co-won ‘Best Female Actor’ at Tropfest in 2019 and was nominated for ‘Best Performance’ at Stellar Film Festival and ‘Best Actress’ at the South Australian Screen Awards for her work in the feature CRUSH. She also plays “Lali” in the short film I’M THE MOST RACIST PERSON I KNOW which won the Special Jury Award at SXSW 2025, ‘Best Short Film’ at Cinefest Oz in 2025 and ‘Best Short Film’ at the 2026 AACTA Awards. Previous television credits include roles on the animated series TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA, ABC’s IN LIMBO, SBS’s THE HUNTING, Netflix’s APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, Disney+’s NAUTILUS, ABC’S UTOPIA and WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?. Shabana also regularly lends her voice and talent for accents to voiceover work and audiobooks, including the very important story Home to Biloela by Priya Nadesalingam.  Splitting her time between Australia and Los Angeles, she continues to take on bold, diverse roles that showcase her talent and versatility while highlighting her passion for telling stories that push the envelope. 
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  Kat Hoyos

  Kat Hoyos is an accomplished Australian actor with recent starring roles in two major screen projects: Amazon MGM Studios’ Play Dirty, directed by Shane Black and starring Mark Wahlberg, and Stan/Helium Pictures’ The Killings at Parrish Station, which will have its world premiere at the 2026 Sydney Film Festival. Audiences first embraced Kat in her breakout role as Layla Habib on Channel 9’s Here Come the Habibs, a performance that earned the series nominations for Best Comedy at the TV WEEK Logie Awards and international recognition at the Golden Nymph and Rose d’Or Awards. She went on to star as midwife Sasha Lorente in the acclaimed drama Amazing Grace, opposite Sigrid Thornton and Kate Jenkinson, with additional film credits including Chasing Comets, A Suburban Love Story alongside Luke Ford, and the festival-winning The Road Home.A multi-talented performer, Kat is also an accomplished singer and dancer with extensive stage credits including the Australian and New Zealand tours of Jersey Boys the Musical and Hairspray the Musical, as well as Xanadu, They’re Playing Our Song, and The Man of No Importance at The Hayes Theatre. She regularly performs with Improv Theatre Sydney, including appearances for the Sydney Comedy Festival, and has also performed at major events including the MTV Awards, the ARIAs, the Australian Open Tennis Final, Dancing With The Stars, and Channel 9’s Carols by Candlelight.Beyond performance, Kat works across screen and stage as a creative collaborator in development, contributing to writing rooms and the shaping of performance, movement, and new work.She is an educator and mentor with Improv Theatre Sydney and NIDA. She holds a Bachelor of Performance (Music and Theatre) from the University of Wollongong and a Certificate IV in Dance from Brent Street, and has trained in Los Angeles at The Groundlings, Ivana Chubbuck Studio, and Margie Haber Studio.Kat is the creator of The Artists Hustle, a career development platform helping performing artists develop business skills, mindset, and strategy to build sustainable, long-term careers in the entertainment industry. She is a proud member of MEAA.@kathoyos @theartistshustle