Chris Pine Narrates New Series ''Cardiac Cowboys''

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, September 29, 2025 | 10:41am CT

''Cardiac Cowboys''

iHeartPodcasts and OSO Studios have launched Cardiac Cowboys, a six-episode documentary podcast exploring the birth of modern heart surgery. Narrated by actor and filmmaker Chris Pine, the series debuts today -- World Heart Day, September 29 -- across the iHeartRadio app and major podcast platforms.

Cardiac Cowboys tells the true story of medical pioneers from America's heartland who, in the mid-20th century, defied conventional wisdom to operate on the human heart. Working with limited resources, they transformed barns, basements and garages into makeshift labs, constructing devices from dairy pumps and beer tubing to achieve the world's first open-heart surgeries. Their innovations laid the groundwork for lifesaving procedures still in use today.

"As the narrator of Cardiac Cowboys, I was struck by the sheer bravery and relentless determination of these medical pioneers," said Pine. "This story is about rule-breakers who risked everything to save lives and changed the course of medicine for all of us."

The series was developed by OSO Studios founder Dub Cornett with executive producer John Mankiewicz, in partnership with Barry Linen Motion Pictures and 13th Lake Media. Writer and co-host Jamie Napoli and GRAMMY-winning composer David Mansfield round out the creative team.

"When I first heard the story, I knew we had to gather our team and create this series," said Cornett. "The Cardiac Cowboys have saved countless lives and their work continues to this day."

The podcast is sponsored by Jasper, an AI content automation platform that supported the production's promotional rollout. Will Pearson, president of iHeartPodcasts, said the series reflects "human courage and innovation -- qualities that resonate deeply with so many of us."

All six episodes of Cardiac Cowboys are available now, inviting listeners to revisit the groundbreaking efforts of America's heartland surgeons whose courage helped shape modern medicine.