St. Denis Medical's Kaliko Kauahi Loves Her Enigmatic Character Nurse Val
Actress Kaliko Kauahi admits she loves playing the hospital's only grown-up on St. Denis Medical.
When NBC Insider last spoke to actress Kaliko Kauahi (Superstore) on the set of St. Denis Medical last summer, the first season of production was just coming to a close and the entire cast had barely had a moment in their schedules to take stock and reflect on the arcs of their characters.
Fast-forward to today and audiences of the hit comedy series have now seen two-thirds of the first season, and Kauahi has had plenty of time to process how audiences are receiving the show and the overall introduction of Val, her no-nonsense nurse administrator who is the jaded lifer of the St. Denis hospital staff.
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By season's end, the whole ensemble had found their grooves in terms of developing their characters via the script details and their own individual interpretations of said quirks. Kauahi sat down with NBC Insider again and explained how much she loved playing the comedic straight woman to the crazier personalities roaming the hospital halls. And that she's appreciated the discoveries the writers have seeded about Val's life throughout the season.
St. Denis Medical star Kaliko Kauahi on her character, Nurse Val
Val is certainly the hammer of St. Denis hospital, and Kauahi said she's enjoyed playing the reliable grown-up of the ensemble.
"I think that environment needs a Val to keep it grounded and to be the anchor, because we have a job to do," she observed. "So, it's just been interesting to see how she relates to all the other people in the family. She really is a pro and has been around a long time. She respects anybody who does their job well. Like, she and Alex ( Allison Tolman) have a certain rapport/relationship. And then, I think she's unfazed by Dr. Ron (David Alan Grier). Nothing bothers her."
Dr. Bruce versus Nurse Val
What about a certain someone with a samurai sword and navy blue surgical scrubs? A surprise highlight this season came with the episode "Gimme the Scuttlebutt" when Dr. Bruce (Josh Lawson) is profoundly insulted when Val point blanks tells him that she'd never have sex with him.
That episode solidified the oil and water, comedy gold of their personality dynamics. From that episode on, Kauahi said she found her character paired up with the surgeon in more scenes and she's loved every minute of their sparring.
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"It's so fun with Josh," she said. "Bruce is just such a specific character, and so we kind of balance each other out. Because Val could care less about whatever he's talking about. He's puffing up his feathers and she really doesn't care. So I think [the writers] are like, "Oh, that works!"
In fact, Val's rejection of Bruce revealed that the nurse is not lacking for companionship or a robust life outside of the job.
"Her personal life, much like her work life, is very full," Kauahi confirmed with glee. "I'm happy for that and to represent that. Outside of the hospital, these people have lives but you don't know what they are. I hoped that they have fulfilling lives outside, because they work so hard in the hospital and deal with so much, so I was happy to hear that."
Does she think audiences may ever get a peek at Val's gentleman friends in the hospital? Kauahi said she's thought about it, but in the end that's not Val's style.
"She's not bringing that to work," she laughed. "Someone else might, but she's not doing that."
The guest star that made Kaliko Kauahi the happiest
Quick to praise every guest star who came to play this season, Kauahi said she has a special place in her heart for actor Nico Santos' arch turn as Rene, the leader of the hospital's "Filipino Mafia" of nurses.
"We had such a good time with Nico, so in a dream world, we could explore that more," she said. "Because try going to a hospital and not run into a Filipino nurse."
She also loved leaning into her natural rapport with former Superstore colleague, Santos. "We were working together for so many years, and we're really good friends. It was so lovely to have him there. And he was so happy to see everyone. It just was so easy because we know how to work together, so it was a blast."
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With Season 2 of St. Denis Medical already ordered by NBC, Kauahi is looking forward to closing out this season on a high note with audiences and then getting back to work in the summer.
"They've been doing such a great job of just slowly peeling away the layers of all of these characters and getting to know everyone," she praised of the writers. "I'm really excited for the rest of the season, and to end it with a bang, as these guys tend to do."
Catch new episodes of St. Denis Medical when they premiere on Tuesdays on NBC at 8/7c. Episodes are available to stream on Peacock the next day.
