Isa Briones on Santos’ Armor in The Pitt
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Is Briones shares insight into playing Santos, a character who, at first glance, might seem sharp-edged and impenetrable, but reveals emotional depth beneath the surface.
From the very beginning, Santos presents herself with confidence, wit, and a biting exterior. But as Briones explains, that outward persona is anything but simple. “There’s a way to play this that is very one-note,” she says. “Just kind of mean girl.” Instead, what drew her in was the opportunity to explore the duality of someone who exists in both harshness and vulnerability at once.
That complexity didn’t happen by accident. Early in the process, the show’s creative team provided detailed backstories for each character offering insight into experiences that wouldn’t immediately appear on screen. For Santos, that included a history marked by trauma, self-harm, and emotional survival. “It made the character feel alive,” Briones notes. “More than just the scenes in front of you.”
Central to Santos is her internal dialogue with herself, a voice that is as critical of herself as it is of others. While she may appear judgmental outwardly, Briones emphasizes that this stems from an even harsher self-perception. “She does not talk to herself in the kindest way,” she explains.
This internal struggle fuels many of Santos’s actions. Her instinct to push people away, to strike first emotionally, is rooted in a vow never to be vulnerable again. “I’m going to hurt them before they can hurt me,” Briones says. “And somehow there’s power in that.”
It’s a coping mechanism, one that resonates on a broader human level. The idea that people often treat themselves more cruelly than they ever would others becomes a key theme in understanding Santos.
Season two introduces a destabilizing force: the return of Langdon. His presence reopens wounds she’s tried to bury, unraveling the fragile sense of stability she’s built.
Briones likens this to a universal experience of how one person or moment can undo months of healing. “She’s grown comfortable in the discomfort,” she says. “But then that coping mechanism stops working.”
One of the most compelling aspects of Santos’s journey is her struggle to connect with others. Whether it’s a complicated situationship or a reluctant friendship, her desire for closeness is constantly at odds with her fear of it.
Briones highlights how Santos often misinterprets what she needs. “She thinks vulnerability has to be romantic,” she says. “But really, she just needs a friend.” Yet even that feels too exposed. Emotional honesty, simply telling someone how she feels is more daunting than physical intimacy.
This tension is especially evident in how Santos communicates. Affection is masked as sarcasm, care is delivered through insults, and vulnerability is buried beneath deflection. “Every time she lashes out,” Briones explains, “it’s actually her trying to connect.”
Briones also reflects on what it means to play someone like Santos. In a world where women are often encouraged to soften themselves, Santos does the opposite, she takes up space unapologetically.
“It’s cathartic,” Briones says. “To play someone who just feels her feelings and makes it your problem.”
That refusal to be “palatable” is part of what makes Santos so compelling. She doesn’t adjust herself to fit others’ expectations. She doesn’t dilute her reactions. And while that can make her difficult, it also makes her real.
Q&A on the series The Pitt with actor Isa Briones. Moderated by Mara Webster, In Creative Company.
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