Actress Ash Santos Discusses New Netflix Hospital Drama Series ‘Pulse’

After twelve years of producing original content, Netflix has released its first medical drama, Pulse. We recently had the opportunity to discuss the series with actress Ash Santos, who portrays paramedic Nia Washington.

Pulse is a Netflix Original medical drama created and produced by Zoe Robyn. Carlton Cuse serves as co-showrunner and executive producer alongside Robyn. The series is produced by Genre Arts and Letter Zed, marking it as the first medical drama from Netflix Studios.

Pulse is centered around the lives and careers of the staff of a Miami Hospital trauma unit.

Prior to her role as Nia Washington in Pulse, Ash Santos starred in several television shows and movies, such as Mayor of Kingstown, Mike, and American Horror Story. She’s also starred in Netflix projects, such as the Kevin Hart miniseries True Story and, most recently, the Lindsey Lohan Christmas film Our Little Secret. 

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Jacob: When did you first hear about Pulse?

Ash: I first heard about Pulse in December 2023 when I received the script and received an audition for the role of Camila. So, for that, I had to put myself on tape, but then I had booked another film called Our Little Secret, which was also on Netflix. So, it was when I was in Atlanta working that I got asked to meet with producers Zoe [Robyn] and Cartlton [Cuse] for the role of Camila. It was on a lunch break while we were shooting, and I found out very quickly that the role wasn’t mine, and rightfully, it went to Daniela Nieves. I was sad about that because I loved the script so much. But when they had asked me to audition, they sent the first two scripts, and I just was just so like, “Oh my God!” because I’ve been such a fan of medical dramas, and this is such a good medical drama, it’s so fresh, different, and I absolutely love the writing. I loved all the characters, so I just kept pressing my team. Was there anything? Any other roles?

Then, right after wrapping on Our Little Secret, the producers asked to meet with me for the role of Cass Himmelstein. We did that over Zoom, and within 24 hours, they got back to me with a no, that’s going to somebody else, and I was like, “How did I try twice and not get one!?” So then, within a few days, my team reached back out, and they told me there was another role they wanted to offer me and asked if I would be interested, to which I immediately said yes without even knowing what the role was or who I would be. So when they told me it would be a love triangle between my character, the previous role I read for Cass, and Dr. Tom Cole, I was like, “DONE!”

Jacob: So it was the third time’s the charm, and you got the role of Nia Washington.

Ash: Third time was the charm, yes!

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Jacob: Could you tell us about your character, Nia?

Ash: So, Nia Washington is from a small town in Florida and comes from a huge family. She’s Dominican like me and comes from a family where being a paramedic was one of the most incredible things she could ever do with her life because most of her family tends to just stay in that town, as not a lot of opportunity is afforded to them. So Nia has this career that she’s extremely proud of and takes incredibly seriously, so when she meets someone like Tom for the first time, we see her question why is she falling for this man, why is this happening, while trying not to lose herself.

Nia is fun, scrappy, hardworking, and completely unafraid to tell it how it is. She can be unaffected by a lot, but then that’s refreshing because when something does affect her, you feel it, too. So yeah, I love Nia.

Jacob: It wouldn’t be a medical drama without a love triangle, so it sounds like you’re going head to head with Cass over capturing Tom’s heart.

Ash: Yeah, Jessica Rothe, who’s just the loveliest and warmest person– We actually kind of had a hard time because we have this scene where the two of us confront each other, and I actually had a hard time because Jessica in real life is so sweet and warm. In fact, the first time we ever met, we went to breakfast together, and we stayed there for about three hours. There was crying as we were telling each other our life stories and she’s just one of those people that you love right away, so when we had to be antagonistic toward each other, I’m like having a hard time. But it’s such a fun dynamic between the two characters.

Jacob: And what was it like working with the rest of the cast? Are you all a tight-knit bunch now after the first season of filming?

Ash: Yeah, we really lucked out. We all got along from the start, and you know, you always hear that, and then by season five, if we make it that far, everyone’s like- you know? But it really was so lovely, and it’s the warmest set I’ve ever been on. I tell that to everyone that I talk to. It’s my favorite job, and I hope I get to do it for years because it’s just the warmest, kindest set.

You get to greet everyone in the morning with hugs, from the showrunners Zoe Robyn to our executive producer Carlton Cuse. Everyone is just so lovely. I feel fortunate to be working with the entire crew, and I had waited so long to be on a set where everybody is just kind. I love it. We have this group chat that we still text on today. We call it “Sexy Scrubs,” which has the whole cast. Lately, we’ve been sharing any time someone spots a billboard and what street we’re on. You know, you made it to Brooklyn, or we’re on Sunset Boulevard in LA. So it’s a lot of fun.

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Jacob: It’s been a long time coming for Netflix to release its own medical drama. So how would you say Pulse sets itself apart from your Grey’s Anatomy, ER, and New Amsterdam? 

Ash: I think Pulse is a lot more grounded. You really feel as if you’re watching real people grapple with their lives while in the context of a hospital. So while there is a focus on their medical careers and what is happening medically, the real focus is what’s going on with them and what they are wrestling with.

It’s almost like you don’t want to be in the hospital. You nearly forget that you are actually in the hospital because everybody is so into who they are. I think Zoe did a great job creating characters that felt very contemporary and very relatable, and they cast it so well. Everyone is so similar to their character in real life. So a lot of the way that we speak, and the way that each character is saying something, they actually picked up on how we were talking to each other in the break room, or during lunch, and then added a little zinger in, which makes everything feel authentic. Throughout the show, we’re barely wearing makeup, and like with the hurricane, everyone really looks like we’re working in the middle of a hurricane.

So it just feels a lot more gritty and real. Even the cinematography, there are a lot of shots and that are a little shaky, and not quite perfect, and I like that because it only enhances the tone that we’re in a hospital in Miami and it’s a trauma unit, and these are the everyday lives of these people.

Jacob: It almost sounds like, rather than being a medical drama, it’s like a candid camera watching the hospital staff in action.

Ash: Yes, exactly! So I think that’s what kind of set it apart. I’m currently watching The Pit, which I love, and it has that feel to it as well. But, we bring more of the drama of the characters mixing in with each other, what they’re grappling with internally, and then we also deal with some pretty heavy topics, like sexual harassment, and how women are perceived in the workplace. Those topics are very current, and I think how we handle them is respectful and authentic. So I’m proud of what we’ve done.

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Jacob: What was it like working with showrunner Zoe Robyn?

Ash: Oh, it meant a lot to work with Zoe. I’ve never had a young female showrunner before, and I told her this on my last day. I wrote her a letter when I wrapped, and I told her how much I look up to her. I get emotional when I talk about her. I think about her world, and she has been working as a writer and trying to get things made for so many years. So for her to get this off the ground, and it being her first show and getting to be the showrunner, I mean, it’s her baby.

We have four soundstages on the Netflix studios in Alberquerque, and it’s such a tremendous show, especially one to have as your first. I think the world of her. She led that team so fearlessly, with so much empathy and warmth. Every time you see her, she gives you a hug and asks how you’re doing. She opens the floor to your concerns; you can go to her without fear. This industry can be tough, and you don’t always get that with producers or showrunners, so I just felt lucky. It was really formative for me to be able to have this experience with her. I hope I get to work with her for years to come. Truly.

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Jacob: Are you and the cast going to be doing a watch party at all? Is there a plan to get the cast together and watch Pulse?

Ash: Yeah! Carlton is hosting a watch party tonight, actually, in LA, so not everyone can make it. But there’s enough going on that it’s fun. It’s sad that you don’t get a premiere because having everyone on the red carpet would have been so fun. But it worked out just fine just having the watch party in LA at Carlton’s office.

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Are you going to be watching Pulse on Netflix? If you have already seen it, what did you think of Ash Santos’ character Nia Washington? Let us know in the comments below!