dailyloe.com – Isa Briones, star of HBO’s medical drama ‘The Pitt’, is currently performing on Broadway while managing the pressures of newfound fame. She plays Dr. Trinity Santos on the hit show and Connie Francis in the Broadway musical ‘Just in Time’. Briones called from a Manhattan apartment while feeling unwell. She described the grueling schedule as comparable to an ER shift.
Briones expressed her current physical state during the call. ‘I’m definitely feeling it right now,’ Briones said. ‘I woke up this morning was like, ‘I think I’m getting sick.’ So the panic is not awesome. But I still love it.’ The musical ‘Just in Time’ is a jukebox show about singer-songwriter Bobby Darin. Briones portrays singer Connie Francis, who had a brief relationship with Darin.
Connie Francis topped radio play in the 1950s with songs like ‘Pretty Little Baby’. The role of Bobby Darin was originated by Jonathan Groff. Jeremy Jordan is set to take over the Darin role on April 21. Briones’s more prominent role is as the caustic young resident Dr. Trinity Santos.
In Season One of ‘The Pitt’, Santos makes an immediate negative impact. On her first day, she accuses the respected Dr. Frank Langon of stealing drugs. Dr. Langon is played by actor Patrick Ball. Santos is guarded and gives her co-workers obnoxious nicknames.
She is also always ready with a snarky comment. Santos was ultimately correct about Langon having a drug problem. Season Two concluded recently and stretched this tension further. It showed Langon’s return to the ER after a leave for rehab.
The season also provided a deeper exploration of Santos’s past traumas. While Santos was created to be an unlikeable character, Briones notes an unintended effect. A byproduct of the show’s success is people equating her with her character. She has grown accustomed to occasional shouts of ‘Santos!’ in public.
This happens while she is walking down the street or getting groceries. It even happened once while she was performing in ‘Just in Time’. Briones reflected on her initial reaction to the show’s popularity. ‘When [The Pitt] started becoming big, I was like, ‘Oh, God, I think I’m that person with the hat and the sunglasses,” Briones said.
‘I used to laugh at that,’ Briones added, miming giant sunglasses. ‘Now I kind of get it. It’s so annoying. But I’m figuring it out.’ Rolling Stone spoke with Briones ahead of ‘The Pitt’ season finale. The interview covered misogyny in fan spaces and the real reason Santos and Langdon hate each other.
It also discussed why all the doctors on ‘The Pitt’ need a good therapist.
