There’s perhaps no one more excited to step into the ever-expanding Sheridanverse than actor Ash Santos, who admits she was already a devoted fan of Yellowstone long before she landed a role in its latest spinoff, Marshals.
“I live in Utah where parts of Yellowstone were filmed, and I remember a lot of buzz around the production,” Santos told India Today.
So, when she first heard whispers about a new series centred on Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes), Santos immediately sensed the potential. The project, backed by familiar franchise names like Gil Birmingham, Mo Brings Plenty and Brecken Merrill, felt like a natural extension of the world audiences already loved.
However, while reflecting on the spinoff’s concept, she didn’t know then was that she would soon find herself part of that universe. Landing the role, however, was far from straightforward. Santos recalls that the audition process was chaotic, emotional and oddly serendipitous.
“I had tested for another Taylor Sheridan film right before I found out that I was auditioning for this,” she shared. “While I was actively taping my audition for Marshals in LA, I got the message from my team that I did not get that film, which sucked. I’m a feeler, and I just started crying. I couldn’t help it! So, I had to finish my tape with a swollen face and no makeup,” she said with a laugh.
Her team eventually sent the tape along with a note explaining the circumstances. To her surprise, the performance still caught the producers’ attention, earning her a callback for a screen test in Dallas, ironically, the same city where she had earlier tested for the role she didn’t get.
“My initial flight from Salt Lake City was cancelled, and I arrived an hour late to the screen test,” Santos said. Flustered and overwhelmed, she recalled forgetting lines. “Everything left my head,” she admitted. “I was like, ‘I’m sorry, I need a moment. This is just too much.’”
Santos ultimately secured the role of Andrea Cruz, a tough-talking U.S. Marshal originally from the Bronx. In the series, Cruz is transferred from her Washington, D.C. unit to Pete “Cal” Calvin’s Montana team after a mysterious incident. She credits showrunner Spencer Hudnut for creating a collaborative environment where actors could help shape their characters.
“This is the first experience I’ve had with a showrunner that was truly collaborative,” Santos said. “He’s deeply invested in making sure that this show resonates with its intended audience.”
Beyond the emotional and narrative aspects of the role, Santos also embraced the physical demands of playing a U.S. Marshal. Her favourite part of the experience was the tactical training the cast underwent before filming. “We’re trained by a former Navy SEAL who worked on SEAL Team with Spencer,” she said. “He coached us on how to hold a gun, how to move as a team and how to bust through a doorway.”
For Santos, who enjoys horse riding and physically demanding work, the training was both challenging and exhilarating. “It has to be accurate because some incredible people actually do this for a living,” she said. “It was a challenge, but it was a fun challenge.”
Looking back at her journey from audition setbacks to landing a major role, Santos says the biggest lesson the industry has taught her is patience.
In Hollywood, she believes, rejection is almost inevitable. But time often reveals that missed opportunities may simply be making way for something better. “When things don’t work out, which happens a lot in this industry, you have to let time pass,” she said. “Something better will come.”
For Santos, the key is recognising the opportunities that truly align with you as an artist. “It’s about finding moments and roles that do justice to you and your body of work,” she added. “It’s hard, but with time you learn that nothing in this industry is permanent.”
And in her case, a chaotic audition, a cancelled flight and a forgotten set of lines ultimately led to her place in one of television’s most talked-about universes.
