The Pitt And Off Campus Star Jalen Thomas Brooks Made His Acting Debut On An Arrowverse Show

Before he was famous for playing a hot hockey player on "Off Campus" or a hot nurse on "The Pitt," Jalen Thomas Brooks made his acting debut on The CW's "Supergirl." In the Season 5 episode "In Plain Sight," Brooks played Simon Kirby, a financially struggling young man who eventually gets a job as an amateur photographer. Simon appeared in just one episode, though he was briefly mentioned later that season. 

This was Brooks' only appearance in the entire Arrowverse, the connected TV universe that included "Supergirl." During his brief time in the franchise, Brooks met a future co-star, Odette Annable. Annable played Samantha "Sam" Arias, the Kryptonian Worldkiller known as Reign, in Season 3 and returned for a guest appearance in Season 5. She later starred alongside Brooks in the 2021 Western procedural series "Walker," where they both played significant roles.

"I ran into [Annable] very suddenly and quick at one of the production offices," Brooks told KSiteTV about his "Supergirl" experience. "And then, when I started working on 'Walker,' she was like, 'I recognize you!'"

Six years after Jalen Thomas Brooks' acting debut on "Supergirl," he landed a recurring role in Season 1 of "The Pitt" as Nurse Mateo Diaz. Diaz's main qualities are that he's cool, confident and, as far as med student Javadi (Shabana Azeez) is concerned, incredibly attractive. 

Brooks told The Hollywood Reporter that "The Pitt" was the first acting job he landed after the 2023 actors' strike, and he was struck by the care that went into its production. "'The Pitt' was the first time I actually felt part of something being held with such care by a creative," he said. "Coming off of the strike, and what that meant for so many people getting back to work, and then being able to go back to work on that type of set was such a privilege and very humbling."

The success of "The Pitt," followed by the popularity of "Off Campus" (where he plays hockey player John Tucker), has raised Brooks' profile. "The more eyes the better," Brooks said when "Off Campus" first premiered. "I'm confident in it and I can't wait for people to watch."