‘The Pitt’ Actor Tracy Vilar Brings Heart Health to the Actor Awards (EXCLUSIVE)

Tracy Vilar of “The Pitt” shined a spotlight on heart health at the Actor Awards.

Villar, who plays ward clerk Lupe Perez on the hit HBO Max series, wore an American Heart Association red dress pin to the SAG-AFTRA ceremony and gala to bring attention to cardiovascular health.

Heart disease runs in Vilar’s family. One of her grandfathers died of a stroke, an aunt and a great aunt died of heart attacks, and another aunt underwent open-heart surgery to repair a leaky valve.

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“It’s something to really take seriously,” Vilar (pictured above with her “The Pitt” castmate Krystel V. McNeil) told me on the red carpet. “I just went for a checkup and everything’s OK, but I’m on it. I get it. I wasn’t taking it seriously and now I’m taking it seriously.”

Villar teamed up with the AHA to promote Go Red for Women, the organization’s program to raise awareness around women’s heart health. Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women, but only about half of women are aware that heart disease and stroke are their greatest health threat, according to AHA. Overall, heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. and stroke has moved up to the No. 4 spot. On average, someone dies from cardiovascular disease every 34 seconds with more than half of people living in the U.S. having some form of cardiovascular disease.

“It’s not comfortable seeing a relative go through heart surgery,” said Vilar, whose credits also includes “Maid” and “House.” “It changes people. It changes families. We go, ‘OK, everybody, we’re all eating well. We’re juicing. Let’s go!’ You take things for granted but then when things happen you’re so scared. That is why I wanted to be here for the cause.”

AHA most recently hosted its annual Red Dress Collection Concert gala for women’s cardiac health at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. Headliner Nicole Scherzinger opened up at the event about her mom surviving two strokes. “She has a mechanical heart,” the Tony winner said. “In 2002, she suffered a stroke and we had to get her a double valve replacement. I don’t talk about this because it’s a little sensitive, but I mean if you’re gonna talk about it this is the place to talk about it, right?”