NBC Photo: Michael Muller
Get your DVRs ready: NBC's new show Trauma debuts this Monday Sept 28 at 9pm. To gear up for the premiere, we talked with star Aimee Garcia about the show and why it stands out in a sea of medical dramas.
What makes Trauma unique from all the other medical-themed shows out there?
I think it's the caliber of people in front and behind the camera. The director isn't afraid to take risks and put himself out there. It's rare to find film people doing TV, and it's not a safe show, both in the writing and in the execution.
Trauma feels like a feature film on the small screen. Unlike most shows that are on a lot in the studio, we're actually in the streets of San Francisco, on the Bay Bridge. You can't fake that. It's all the high stakes drama of a medical show, with the ever-changing backdrop of a real city.
There's a lot of blood and guts. Our show is the 20 minutes before the ER. It's not cleaned up, it's not patched up. We show up on the scene right when the accident happens, so it's really gnarly.
The heart of the show is how taxing that action is on an EMT and how they deal with it. They are responding to 911 calls all day long. They're making split second decisions. They each deal with the stress in their own way.
How is location shooting different than shooting in a studio?
In sitcoms like Gary Unmarried and George Lopez, it's almost like doing a mini-play. You get the instant feedback of the audience. With something like Trauma, it's more like a feature film. It has a different rhythm. You can take your time and have the ability to explore your character.
We [the cast] have all been uprooted and are on a different location in San Francisco every day. It's exciting! We've had several times where locals come running onto the set to help because our accidents look so real. The security guards have to tell them that it's fake for a TV show.
You play EMT helicopter pilot Marisa Benez on the show. What's Marisa like?
Marisa is the girl you want to have on your side when you're faced with possible death. She's a war veteran. She's in her 20s, but you'd never know it. She's used to flying helicopters and she's used to transporting injured Navy SEALs from point A to point B while being shot at. She's seen things that most of us will never see in our lifetime. Marisa's not afraid to speak her mind and she can hold her own and isn't afraid to throw a punch once in a while.
I'm having a blast playing her. It's rare to find a character who feels very comfortable in the boys club and lets her technical skill speak for itself.
Speaking of technical skills, what was is like learning to pilot a chopper?
I spent countless hours inside helicopters. I took public transit about 45 minutes outside of the city to the hangar and spent hours learning about it. I wanted to know what each gauge and dial did.
I went on ride-alongs with San Fran paramedics in their ambulances and got to really see from the inside what it's like to respond to a 911 call, so that was an experience in itself. They're our unsung heroes.
Seeing my helicopter in the middle of San Francisco streets never gets old. It's a fantastic piece of machinery and I can't help but grin every time I'm walking to my helicopter in the middle of a highway. I just smile!
Trauma premieres Monday Sept. 28 at 9pm on NBC, and you can get behind-the-scenes updates from Aimee Garcia on her Trauma blog.
