Chris Pine surprises ‘Five Days at Memorial’ premiere to support dad

Crowds at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles buzzed on Monday night as Chris Pine made a surprise red carpet appearance. Pine came to the Five Days at Memorial premiere to support his father, Robert Pine, with his latest acting project.

The father-son duo posed together before Chris entered the theater and let his father walk down the line to speak to the press.

For Robert, his decision to get involved in this project came down to the script. “John Ridley and Carlton Cuse wrote [the script]and you just don’t always get such good lyrics,” Pine said diversity. “I mean, any actor here can tell you that. So when something like that comes along – even if it’s just a small part or whatever – you jump at it because you want to be a part of it.”

Five Days at Memorial follows the true story of Memorial Hospital during and after Hurricane Katrina tragically devastated New Orleans in 2005. Adapted from Sheri Fink’s book, the series chronicles the hospital’s staff as the tide rises, power outages and heat rises. The limited series, produced by Oscar winner John Ridley and Emmy winner Carlton Cuse, stars Vera Farmiga, Cornelius Smith Jr., Cherry Jones, Julie Ann Emery, Adepero Oduye, Molly Hager and Michael Gaston.

Pine plays Horace Baltz, an aeronautical doctor at Memorial who tries to calm everyone amidst the chaos. According to Pine, the bow tie was actually a personal choice he made to pay tribute to a friend.

“A friend of mine is an orthopedist,” Pine explained. “And whenever I play a doctor, I like to wear a bow tie for him. Yes, he’s been my best friend since fourth grade.”

Jones, known for her performances in Succession, The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Signs, recalls how Katrina’s story touched her deeply while working on set.

“It was a sacred duty for me to do our best and use our imaginations as actors,” Jones said. “Because we’re not going through this, we’re just imagining it. And you can’t imagine that! I won’t be kidding you. It is impossible. We don’t even come close. But we did our best.”

The series is helmed by acclaimed producer Cuse, who is behind TV hits like Lost and Bates Motel. Through working on Five Days at Memorial during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuse has recognized that the story of Hurricane Katrina mirrors much of what people have experienced in recent years.

“The dilemmas felt like they were very similar,” Cuse said. “Everyone has a really intense, personal experience with this pandemic. And I hope that as they watch this show, they will bring that experience to bear and see the resonance of their pandemic experience in this story. And hopefully we can all find a way to take some lessons from what happened and do better when it comes to the next natural disaster or calamity – which is sure to come.”

Five Days at Memorial premieres August 12 with the first three episodes on Apple TV+. A new episode will follow every Friday until September 16th.