Latasha M. Ford with Awards Buzz recently had the exciting opportunity to sit down with “The Morning Show” star Karen Pittman for an exclusive conversation. The interview took place directly in Pittman’s trailer as she took a brief break from filming the show’s fifth season. Throughout our discussion, Pittman shared deep insights into her role as Mia Jordan, her personal career journey, and the highly anticipated future of the series.
With Season 4 having already made a significant impact, Pittman expressed immense enthusiasm for the current production of Season 5. She teased that the upcoming episodes will be anything but predictable, promising fans a season filled with unexpected twists and turns. A central focus of our talk was the evolution of Mia Jordan, an executive producer who has navigated the glass ceiling of television news with poise and professional integrity. Pittman highlighted the importance of portraying Mia as a grounded professional, specifically avoiding the “angry black woman” trope often seen in workplace dramas.
Reflecting on the emotional weight of the series, Pittman pointed to a powerful Season 4 scene involving a “breakup” between her character and Stella, played by Greta Lee, which underscored the difficulty of attempting to change corporate culture from within. She credited the show’s resonance to the exceptional writing of showrunner Charlotte Stoudt and the striking visual identity crafted by costume designer Sophie De Rakoff. Interestingly, Pittman’s role as a brand ambassador for Lafayette 148 crosses over into the show, with several of the brand’s signature pieces, including her iconic red suit and blue dress, featured prominently in Mia’s wardrobe.
Beyond the screen, Pittman shared her belief in the necessity of genuine workplace friendships and noted how much she relates to Mia’s industry struggles. She emphasized that her own resilience is bolstered by a strong community of women and allies. Despite a demanding schedule that includes filming for the project “Forever” alongside her work on “The Morning Show,” Pittman remains dedicated to bringing authenticity to every frame.
Check out the Full Interview:
Latasha: Yeah. So Karen, you know, I was absolutely thrilled to speak with you. I’m always so grateful when stars and individuals such as yourself can like sleeze little old me into your busy schedule so I want to say thank you. Thank you. Time for me. Of course. And, and of course a congratulations season five morning show, season two forever. Camera, your life is lit right now. Like you’re- It’s a little
Karen: Busy. It’s a little busy. I’m talking to you from my trailer. I feel very blessed and so excited to be working on these great shows. Had a great season four for the morning show and we’re back for season five. And, uh, it’s great. It’s gonna be very exciting. I think everyone is gonna enjoy it.
Latasha: So of course, you know, I have to get into all the things of Mia Jordan. Not only is Lia a executive producer on a show, but she’s also that individual and that colleague that’s like 10 toes down and supportive and therefore literally everyone. But the question is, is everybody there for Mia because I think it’s safe to say that is a hard no. Would you agree with that?
Karen: Yeah. Uh, I think season four was a hard no. I think she really struggled with that and, you know, what we were able to do over four seasons was to tell the story of this woman who’s worked in, in television news and who, um, really was trying to work her way up to the top and was meeting lots of obstacles and hit that, hit that ceiling and decided that she was gona break out and do something a little bit different. And, um, I think there’s so many women now in American television news and American journalism that are finding that they, uh, are hitting a ceiling or they’re being pushed out. And, um, it’s been a real, you know, it’s an interesting experience hearing from the audience how they feel about all of what the writers have written for Mia in season one and, uh, season four, rather, and how it resonates with them.
Latasha: And I feel like that’s the perfect segue when you just mentioned the writers, because I feel like what I love the absolute most, of course, being a woman, definitely, um, being a Black woman, obviously in media, entertainment, TV, journalism, the list goes on is that this go round for season four, Mia stood her ground. She stood in her power. You know, she did make a very bold move in episode three, uh, entitled Tipping Point, which of course we’re going to get to, but Karen, she, the writing, I feel like is impeccable because she’s standing in her power but she’s not losing her professional po- like poise posture and that, that polished demeanor in a workplace. And I love that she’s not painted as the angry Black woman in the workplace. Like is there anything that you can share there or speak to specifically in that area?
Karen: I think absolutely. I think there’s something to be said for women, uh, our role in, uh, the companies that we work in and how resilient we have to be. And I think that’s also part of her story. One of the interesting parts about working with, uh, the writers, but especially, um, uh, Charlotte Style, who’s our showrunner is, you know, folks will say that we are, you know, reading tea leaves and, and, um, you know, our stories seems sort of shadowing what’s happening in, in television news. And the truth of the matter is that, you know, she’s always trying to tell the story of how people are feeling and how we are dealing with, uh, the emotions that go along with being, um, working in certain jobs where we’re struggling. Um, and, um, that of course has been Mia’s, uh, arc over the series. It’s been really fun to track, uh, where she’s been joyful, where she’s, um, had challenges at the workplace where she’s been able to fall in love and, and, uh, you know, enjoy her life.
Latasha: And so, um, so yeah, I mean, I think it does. There’s a kind of a resilience that goes along with it and also showing all the emotions that, that the character goes through. And
Karen: I think speaking to the emotions, makes me want to ask you … I, because I feel like as a viewer and a huge fan of the show, I feel like season four, I’m gonna say it’s more catered towards you, um, Mia’s storyline. I don’t want to say that, but what I will say is that there is a lot of focus there. There are so many complexities that are being highlighted. And I want to know, honestly, if you, Karen, have ever experienced some of what Mia is going through and how did you level set emotionally?
Karen: Yeah, I mean, I definitely have dealt with a lot of things that Mia’s dealing with, you know, the disappointments of, you know, thinking that you’ve gotten to the place where you don’t have to be concerned about having to get there, that you have support, that you have allies, that you have advocates, really having to clear the decks and, and be very clear about what it is that you wanna do with your life and with your career. And, um, I think that was where Mia was in season four. I have a really great episode that Melissa Shelton directed, um, episode five where, um, we had, like, Mia had a best friend and she, uh, met up with her, you know, situationship guy and, and, and all of those things
So I certainly have had those experiences in this industry. Um, and what I’ve found that has really helped me get through is the support of, of my friends and the people that are allies for me and advocates and who really listen and, um, I have a great community of women around me and, you know, I certainly rely on the, the, uh, support of, uh, Reese and, and Jim, but also they’re producing partners who work here at the show to make sure that people are hearing when, you know, Karen says that this is what she needs, this is where we wanna go, this is what we wanna do, and to amplify the work that I do on the show, for sure.
Latasha: So obviously, I want to tap into the scene, um, where Mia says, “You’re not my friend, you’re not my boss.” Oh. I quit. Oh. I think- That was rough. It, yes. And I can actually personally and professionally relate to that. I actually- Yeah. … went through that experience, um, working in the radio industry years before I branched off into television and film. How did you, what approach did you take, Karen, leaning into that specific scene?
Karen: Well, that was the scene I did with Greta Lee, where Stella and Mia sort of break up in the sense they, um, in season, um, three had decided that they were gonna embark on this particular friendship relationship where they were gonna take on, um, UBN and they were gonna make it the kind of place that they felt like it, it w- you know, where people of color and could really thrive and, um, they could take the company in a different direction and, uh, uh, her friend ends up not being able to, to do what she said she was gonna do. And, you know, for me and Greta, that was a particularly painful scene. Like, we cried all the way through it because it wa- just to even think about it makes me very emotional because it is one of those scenes where, um, you know, it’s, you feel it so deeply because again, we had two or three seasons to build up how these two women were gonna fight for each other and fight for, uh, to see the world that they wanted.
Um, so really the arc of the scene was just allowing myself to let the emotion come up, let the word surface, let the character and her relationship with, uh, the other character also come to the surface. But really, it was just about looking in the eyes of my scene partner, um, Gretta Lee, who’s extraordinary in, in the role of Stella Bach and just really, um, feel all the feelings that I would feel if Greta and I were going through that same kind of a thing and, um, it was, uh, a great scene and, and, uh, very painful to do. We only had to do it, like, one or two times because it was really, oof, it was, it was powerful, but I, I think everyone really understands what it is to go, go through something like that with a bestie if they worked in, in any sort of company industry, you know, where they have to sort of, you know, come to grips.
Latasha: Do you feel like it’s really possible to be friends with and become friends with your boss or colleagues?
Karen: Oh, for sure. Yeah. I think I’ve got a lot of work friends, uh, all over the industry and, uh, I think it’s imperative. You know, we spend so much time at work, so much of our lives I spend, you know, I could spend 12 hours out of the day working, um, here on the morning show and certainly I wanna look across and see someone that I admire and I respect and I, I care about. And, um, you know, that, that is for me what separates, uh, me from taking a job or not taking a job. Do I, uh, appreciate the people that I’m working with and I think that’s really, really important.
Latasha: Karen, thank you so much for making time to speak with me. Thank you. Clearly the world and all you viewers see she’s on set and she made time to speak with us. So I’m so grateful for your time. Thank you so much and I’m so happy for absolutely everything you have going on right now. Congratulations. Oh,
Karen: Thank you. It’s so great to see you. Always lovely to see you. Yes.
About “The Morning Show”
Season 4 of The Morning Show premiered on September 17, 2025, on Apple TV+, picking up in 2024 following a two-year time jump after the UBN-NBN merger. This season featured Bradley and Alex navigating a landscape of conspiracy theories and deepfakes, with new cast members Marion Cotillard and Boyd Holbrook joining returning stars Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, and Jon Hamm. While Greta Lee departed the series following the events of Season 4, the show remains a cornerstone of the platform’s original programming.
Apple TV+ has officially renewed the series for a 10-episode fifth season, which is currently in production as of mid-2026. Director Mimi Leder has teased that the upcoming episodes will continue to tackle modern media issues like AI. Season 5 is expected to premiere in late 2027 and will feature several major additions to the ensemble, including Jeff Daniels, Reneé Rapp, Jesse Williams, and Lizzy Caplan.
“The Morning Show” Season 4 Official Trailer:
