Actor Nico Santos Rides Star Vehicle Sitcom ‘St. Denis Medical’
Nico Santos as Rene in “St. Denis Medical”-- (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC)
Tagalog is spoken and feelings are hurt as the nurses seek approval for reimbursement for continuing education courses. The answer is no, so talk of a nurse walkout ensues, with mucho milligrams of manipulation and conniving compounded to amusing effect. When donuts in the breakroom fail to win favor, hospital administration is forced to the bargaining table.
The resolution demonstrates peak Pinoy power, though the half-hour show misses the reaction of Sharice, who ought to be aggrieved that her one and a half years of seniority puts her four and a half years short of benefiting from the compromise. Universal could be laying the foundation for a spin-off. Past TV sitcoms have spun off from deficient plotlines, e.g., Joanie Loves Chachi.
But “Nurse Rene,” with his six years of seniority—and Santos, with his string of television and movie successes—have no complaints. We’re happy to dispense exposure to Santos and St. Denis Medical as a refuge from real events that grow grimmer as the nights grow short.
A Distracted Emergency Department
The hospital room in the NBC Universal sitcom St. Denis Medical is an enigma. It’s called the Emergency Department primarily because none of the patients of this Oregon hospital has an appointment. There isn’t a triage station to prioritize which patients need immediate attention ahead of those who aren’t likely to code while self-medicating in the lavatory. A high volume of walk-ins suggests an urgent care facility, but some St. Denis patients arrive by ambulance.
Conventional emergency staff don’t include a dedicated surgeon. This surgeon, played by Josh Lawson, has his own operating room. Adding to the fable is Joyce Henderson (Wendy McLendon-Covey), the hospital CEO. She spends most of her time in this department, while presumably other departments in the hospital are either neglected or fully autonomous.
Audiences probably wouldn’t laugh if St. Denis Medical addressed everyday medical crises involving mortality or quality of life after an amputation. It’s too early to poke fun at Covid, and vaccinations may never again be the norm. St. Denis Medical isn’t required to court reality, but it does get one aspect of medical care right that more serious medical dramas usually ignore. This hit sitcom goes beyond the occasional Filipino nurse who shows up beside the innocuous artwork on the wall. Filipino nurses in it are not only acknowledged in storylines; they act like Filipinos.
One of Two Filipino Nurses
Positively Filipino previously profiled Yssamei Panganiban, who plays a nurse named Sharice in St. Denis Medical. The other nurse, Rene, is played by Nico Santos. In 1995, he emigrated with his family from Manila to the U.S. at age 15. His papa, Wilfredo, is from Bulacan province. His mother, Tita, came from Quezon City.
Nico Santos as Rene, Yssamei Panganiban as Sharice, “St. Denis Medical” (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC)
Hmmm, age 15 in 1995; I’ll let you do the math so I can avoid revealing the actor’s age. I wish I were allotted 40 minutes at these press events. I stretched my five minutes until Santos’ publicist fancied herself a 21st-century Zeus by terminating the Zoom interview with the touch of a button. Santos shouldn’t be judged as precious or overrated because of an overzealous publicist.
His recurring role in St. Denis Medical comes on the heels of six seasons on Superstore, also an NBC sitcom. He was both honored to represent Filipinos in healthcare on a network series and to rejoin the Superstore team. “About ninety percent of the St. Denis crew worked on Superstore,” he says. “I was excited to come back to the family.”
Taking Vital Signs
:(l-r) Nico Santos as Rene, Allison Tolman as Alex, Mekki Leeper as Matt, staff -- “St. Denis Medical” (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC)
Santos doesn’t feel pressure to live up to the esteemed reputation of Filipino nurses in American hospitals. “We make a concerted effort to depict our nurses right.” The weight of duty is nothing new, as he elaborates: “A lot of the projects I do represent my Filipino heritage or my background of being queer.”
Comic relief is urgent as the Philippines recovers from the Kalmaega Storm and Fung-wong Typhoon. Santos thinks laughter is also vital in a political, ethical, fiscal, economic, and technological climate in the U.S. that worries most Americans. Generally, he observes, “When things are chaotic around me, I turn to humor to provide a sliver of light and hope. Superstore, St. Denis, and the many other programs with Filipino performers can bring a little bit of happiness.”
Quipster at Large
Before he began acting professionally ten years ago, he had a major presence on the Los Angeles stand-up comedy circuit. “I was doing that for about 20 bucks a routine,” he recalls with fondness for a bygone struggle.
This hit sitcom goes beyond the occasional Filipino nurse that shows up beside the innocuous artwork on the wall.
Crazy Rich Asians was his marquee movie. Santos didn’t have time to comment on the sequel. Director Jon Chu deserves a while longer to bask in the glow of the Wicked double feature. And Filipino nurses everywhere can take pride, as the success of St. Denis Medical assures that future television shows and films can’t claim authenticity without a Filipino nurse in the foreground.
St. Denis Medical airs on NBC at 8 PM (7 PM Central) on Mondays and can be streamed on Peacock. His singing voice hasn’t yet been tapped for the show, but his go-to song at karaoke bars is “This Is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan.
Anthony Maddela urges readers to support the Joyful Life Cochlear Implant Fund to give young children with profound hearing loss the opportunity to live fully in a hearing and speaking world.
More articles from Anthony Maddela
No comments: