Posted in: Paramount+, TV | Tagged: Ash Santos, Mayor of Kingstown

Mayor of Kingstown: Ash Santos on Series' Cathartic Nature, Empathy

Ash Santos (Pulse) spoke with Bleeding Cool about her time on Paramount+'s Mayor of Kingstown, working with Hugh Dillon, and more.

Ash Santos has done so much her decade of work, including FX's American Horror Story and Netflix's True Story. One of her most memorable roles was as Coco on the Paramount+ crime thriller Mayor of Kingstown. While promoting her latest show, the Netflix medical drama Pulse, Santos spoke to Bleeding Cool to reflect on her five-episode stint across seasons two and three, and how showrunners and creators Hugh Dillon and Taylor Sheridan helped navigate the role and series' cathartic nature. The series follows the McLusky family, who have been acting as mediators between the street gangs, prisoners, guards, and cops in the fictional town of Kingstown, Michigan. Tackling a variety of dark themes like racism, corruption, mental illness, and violence, Mayor of Kingstown provides a stark look at their attempt to bring order and justice to a town that has neither.

Ash Santos Reflects on Getting a Second Chance at Mayor of Kingstown.

Bleeding Cool: What is your fondest memory working on 'Mayor of Kingstown?'

Oh, 'Mayor of Kingstown.' That was my first offer, which was really cool. I had originally auditioned for the role of Cherry (Natasha Marc) in season one, and then I was so sad when I didn't get that. When season two came around, they had offered me the role of Coco, and I loved working with Hugh Dillon and just on that set, Michael Friedman, those producers are so involved creatively in everything that they do. You can tell that everything is their baby.

I felt so lucky I got to be a part of that world, despite it being so seedy and dark. I'm literally playing a prostitute. They made me feel so comfortable. They just went above and beyond to make sure that all our needs were met. There was nothing too difficult for us. Some scenes we were dealing with had difficult topics and were hard to shoot, so they would come, check in, and make sure we were okay. That sensitivity and approach they use for their shows is so tactful, and I think why they do well, and the actors who work with them love continuing to work with them.

Renewed for a fourth season set to release in late 2025/early 2026, Mayor of Kingstown, which stars Jeremy Renner, Dianne Wiest, Dillon, Tobi Bamtefa, Taylor Handley, Emma Laird, Derek Webster, Hamish Allan-Headley, Pha'rez Lass, Aidan Gillen, Kyle Chandler, Nishi Munshi, and Michael Beach is available on Paramount+. Pulse is available on Netflix.

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