One of the newest additions to “The Pitt” Season 2 is Joy Kwon (Irene Choi), a third-year medical student whose extensive knowledge of medicine brings added tension to the hospital. Before appearing in the Emmy-winning series, Choi had a memorable recurring role in the NBC sitcom “Community,” where she played a comedic foil to one of the Greendale Seven.
Choi made her debut as Annie Kim in the Season 3 episode, “Geography of Global Conflict,” as a classmate of Annie Edison (Alison Brie) in political science. The two are revealed to share similarities in their academic records, both performing at the top of their respective high school classes. Although Edison initially wants to befriend Kim, the two become academic rivals, hilariously exemplified by their shared first name. Choi would reprise the character in two more episodes, with her final appearance in the Season 6 episode “Queer Studies & Advanced Waxing,” in which she takes over the role of Daniel LaRusso in a stage production of “The Karate Kid” after Edison is fired.
Annie Kim and Joy Kwon share surprising similarities
Despite appearing in two series of vastly different genres, Irene Choi’s characters share some surprising similarities. Annie Kim is a pre-med major at Greendale Community College, putting her on a similar career path to Joy Kwon. Some fans of both series can playfully adopt the headcanon that Choi is playing the same character in each, which would bridge the meta comedy of “Community” with the intense realism of “The Pitt.”
The two also share personality traits, particularly their abrasive dynamic with colleagues. Annie Kim shares a bitter rivalry with Annie Edison due to their similar academic standing, while Joy has a competitive relationship with fourth-year medical student James Ogilvie (Lucas Iverson), with the pair often trying to one-up each other’s knowledge during their shift. Both of Choi’s characters showcase how similar character traits can be shaped by writing and direction for either comedic or dramatic effect.
