‘Pulse’: Willa Fitzgerald & Colin Woodell Set As The Leads In Netflix Medical Drama Series

Nellie Andreeva
·2 min read

EXCLUSIVE: The Fall of the House of Usher standout Willa Fitzgerald and The Continental star Colin Woodell have been tapped as the leads of Pulse, Netflix’s first original medical procedural. They join previously cast Justina Machado in the drama series from first-time creator Zoe Robyn who serves as showrunner and executive producer alongside veteran Carlton Cuse.

In Pulse, while the staff of Miami’s busiest Level 1 Trauma Center navigate medical emergencies, young ER doc Danny Simms (Fitzgerald) is unexpectedly promoted to Chief Resident amidst the fallout of her own provocative romantic relationship.

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When we meet her, Fitzgerald’s Danielle “Danny” Simms is a 3rd year resident in Emergency Medicine at Maguire Hospital in Miami. While her deep empathy makes her an exceptional doctor in training, her brash and self-sabotaging nature disrupts her personal and professional life.

Woodell plays Xander Phillips. Hailing from one of Miami’s most powerful medical families, Xander is the Chief Resident of Emergency Medicine at Maguire, with the series exploring the duo’s work dynamic and romantic relationship after Danny is promoted to Chief Resident. Highly confident and charismatic, Xander is a respected leader, who finds himself caught up in the complications of a provocative romantic relationship.

Machado plays Natalie Cruz, a brilliant and politically-savvy doctor, who oversees both administration and medicine in her role as the Chair of Surgery and Emergency Medicine.

Bradley Garner, Emma Forman and Michael Klick also executive produce. Kate Dennis will serve as director and executive producer on Episodes 1 and 2.

Fitzgerald recently starred in Mike Flanagan’s Netflix limited series The Fall of the House of Usher, earning a Critics Choice Award nomination for her performance as Young Madeline. She’s also known for her work on Prime Video’s Reacher and as Emma Duval in MTV’s Scream: The TV Series. She’ll next be seen starring in Miramax feature Strange Darling, in indie Joe Baby and in David Mackenzie’s Relay. Recently seen in thriller Desperation Road, Fitzgerald is repped by Untitled Entertainment, Paradigm, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.

Woodell portrayed younger Winston Scott in The Continental: From The World Of John Wick, a John Wick origin story miniseries. He previously played Kaley Cuoco’s lover-turned-villain in Berlanti Television’s The Flight Attendant on Max. He also starred on USA’s The Purge and had major recurring roles on Showtime’s Masters of Sex and on ABC/Netflix’s Designated Survivor. Upcoming, Woodell plays the role of Buzz Aldrin in the Greg Berlanti-directed feature Project Artemis for Sony/Apple opposite Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson. He is repped by Gersh and Entertainment 360.

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