Noah Wyle Speaks Out About Tracy Ifeachor’s The Pitt Departure: ‘We Will Miss Her’

Noah Wyle is speaking out about Tracy Ifeachor’s exit from The Pitt.

The ER alum, who plays Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch on the HBO Max series, told Deadline he and the cast have “all been sort of amused by the speculation about what everyone thinks might be a reason” behind Ifeachor departing after one season as Dr. Heather Collins.

“But truthfully, we loved the actress. We enjoyed having her with us very much,” he added. “She’s gotten really big and we will miss her.”

Deadline noted that Wyle said Ifeachor’s leaving the show came down to a story decision.

Wyle’s reaction to Ifeachor’s departure comes days after she hinted at her exit.

Ifeachor shared an Instagram post on July 10 in which she bid farewell to her character.

“What a blessing to be a part of this first and foundational season of #ThePitt on @hbomax. It was an absolute privilege to play Dr. Heather Collins in such a groundbreaking season and piece,” she captioned the post.

Ifeachor added a message to the show’s fans, writing, “Thank you to everyone who has watched & supported Season 1 & shared their stories with me.”

The first season of The Pitt chronicled a day in the life of the emergency room of a Pittsburgh hospital.

Each episode represented an hour of the medical staff’s shift. The ER is run by Wyle’s Dr. Robinavitch, the attending, with the help of two senior residents: Ifeachor’s Dr. Collins and Patrick Ball’s Dr. Frank Langdon.

Together, along with a few medical residents and medical students as well as a dedicated nursing team led by Katherine LaNasa’s charge nurse Dana Evans, they set out to help as many patients as possible.

The Pitt earned 13 Emmy nominations for its freshman season on Tuesday, July 15.

The show garnered a nomination in the coveted Outstanding Drama Series category while Wyle snagged a nod in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category.

This marked Wyle’s sixth Emmy nomination and comes 30 years after he was first nominated for playing John Carter on ER.

LaNasa and Shawn Hatosy (Dr. Jack Abbot) also earned nominations as first-time nominees.

The cast, who are currently filming season 2, shared videos to social media celebrating the show’s slew of Emmy nominations.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The Pitt‘s sophomore season is set to air in January 2026, and first season can be streamed on HBO Max.