Pete Katinsky
| Pete Katinsky | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Portrayed by | Chris Witaske |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Pete Katinsky |
| Nickname | Sugars boyfriend (Pete?) |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Spouse | Natalie Berzatto |
Pete Katinsky is a fictional character on the FX Network television series The Bear, the husband of Natalie Berzatto (Abby Elliott). Pete is played by Chris Witaske. The character of Pete has appeared in 15 episodes of the show, beginning with the season 1 installment "Hands," written by Christopher Storer. Pete is a lawyer by profession and temperamentally much gentler than the sometimes fractious Berzattos.
Casting
[edit]Pete is played by Chris Witaske, a Chicago native.[1] Before trying out for The Bear, Witaske knew Chris Storer as a "cool Chicago guy" who was "Gillian's boyfriend."[1] Witaske originally auditioned for the part of Richie.[1] Witaske has described his character as "golden retriever-ass Pete."[1]
Biography
[edit]Pete Katinsky is Natalie's kind and loving husband. When Pete was is first introduced, he appeared to be "universally disliked by the family, [but] he turns out to be just a big softie—perhaps naive to the others' hardened ways, but charming because of his kind manner and willingness to look for the best in everyone."[2] He was bullied by the male Berzattos for many years after he married Sugar,[3] but Pete proved himself time and time again, demonstrating that "it takes a real man to face the Berzattos, let alone marry one."[4]
In season 1, Pete was introduced in "Hands" and Carmy apologized for his part in some past injury to Pete. In 2025, a BuzzFeed writer thought the introduction of Pete was "perfect," citing the exchange of dialogue between Sugar (Abby Elliott), on the phone with Carmy, and Pete in the background.[5]
Nat: Shut the fuck up.
Pete: You want me to shut the fuck up?
Nat: Not you, sweetie, you didn't say anything.
Pete: Oh! Copy that![5]
Pete defended Carmy's career and bragged about his success to the cackling Uncle Frank in "Dogs," so that by the time of "Sheridan," Carmy confessed sheepishly to Nat, "I do kinda like Pete now."[6] Carmy still keeps his brother-in-law's contact information under the original disrespectful designation "Sugar's boyfriend (Pete?)."[7] Richie and Cicero still seem to find Pete annoying.[4] As one character analysis put it, "Everyone hates Pete because he's the polar opposite of their family, and they know that Sugar deliberately chose him because of that."[8]
Trying to be a good guest, Pete brought an eighth fish to Seven Fishes.[1] Witaske quipped in 2025 that the tuna casserole was "my mom's recipe."[1]
Pete works as a lawyer and helps the family with contracts for the restaurant.[9] In the season 3 episode "Ice Chips," Pete was out of town at a trial when Natalie went into labor with the first child, so her mom Donna sat with Nat at the hospital until Pete could arrive.[10] Following the arrival of their daughter Sophie, the couple are blissfully happy.[11]
Pete's appearance in "Tonnato" revealed that his office has a skyline view of Chicago. Carmy volunteered Pete's United Airlines frequent flier miles to send Marcus to Copenhagen.[12]
In season 4, Pete wore a Nectar's Bar T-shirt, which suggests that Pete, like the actor who plays him, might be a fan of the band Phish.[13] He found out at Tiffany Jerimovich's wedding to Frank that his wife had once had a romance with Francie Fak, and handled the news with grace: "Given the intensity and duration of the feud, Pete knows just how emotional it is for Sugar, and instead of asking his wife lewd questions about the encounter or her sexuality, he lends validity to the potential romantic feelings that may have existed between the two. Where bisexuality is often tokenized, rationalized as a phase, seen as a spectacle, or blamed on drunkenness, Pete wants to confirm that his wife's feud isn't founded on long-standing romantic resentment. It's kind of brilliant and touching and absolutely vulnerable all at once."[14]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f General Meeting with Becky Sloviter: A Podcast (December 15, 2025). CHRIS WITASKE: On The Bear, Throwing Out the First Pitch at Wrigley, His Sobriety, and Love of Phish. Retrieved 2026-01-01 – via YouTube.
- ^ Cox, Sian Francis (July 28, 2023). "Review: The Bear - Series Two • Flixist". Flixist. Retrieved 2025-10-10.
- ^ Murray, Russell (January 31, 2025). "The Bear Family Tree: Every Member Of The Berzatto Family Explained". SlashFilm. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
- ^ a b Larasati, Dyah Ayu (July 27, 2025). "All 6 Ships in 'The Bear,' Ranked". Collider. Retrieved 2025-10-10.
- ^ a b Hayes, Jeremy (July 18, 2025). "We May Never Agree on Whether The Bear Should Be Considered a Comedy, But Here Are 26 Moments That Made Me Cackle". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on 2025-07-26. Retrieved 2025-10-10.
- ^ admin (October 6, 2022). "The Bear - S01E05 - Sheridan | Transcript". Scraps from the loft. Retrieved 2025-10-10.
- ^ MacArthur, Greg (July 3, 2025). "The Bear Season 4 Finally Finds A Purpose For The Most Mistreated OG Character (But They're Still Insulted)". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- ^ Sherlock, Ben. "Why Everyone Hates Pete So Much In The Bear". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
- ^ Persaud, Christine (August 3, 2025). "A Guide to the Berzatto Family in 'The Bear,' Because Who Can Keep Track of That Mess?". MovieWeb. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
- ^ Izzo, Christina (July 3, 2024). "The Bear season 3 episode 8 recap: baby on board". What to Watch. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
- ^ Darwish, Meaghan (June 26, 2025). "Inside Natalie's Struggle for Work-Life Balance in 'The Bear' Season 4". TV Insider. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
- ^ admin (June 23, 2023). "The Bear - S02E03 - Sundae | Transcript". Scraps from the loft. Retrieved 2025-09-29.
- ^ Vermont, Compass. "Vermont's Iconic Nectar's Makes a Surprise Cameo on Hit Show 'The Bear' - Worn By a Dedicated Phish Fan". www.compassvermont.com. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
- ^ Stawiarski, Nicole (July 9, 2025). "The Way Pete Handled Sugar And Francie On 'The Bear' Is So, So, So Evolved". Thought Catalog. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
