Author: Emma Loggins
Date: 2009-09-28

Interview:
We had the pleasure of speaking with Kevin Rankin who stars as Tyler in the new NBC series Trauma. He talked with us a bit about his character, the series in comparison to other medical shows, and what it's like filming on location in San Francisco.

With ER ending, do you think NBC is hoping Trauma will be the new ER?

Kevin Rankin: No not at all [Laughs]. No I really do think that's why there was such a rush of medical shows this year. A flagship like ER is something that was around for 15 years. People really saw a spot open there. I think it was interesting, what they did with this show. They wanted to make a new ER for the new millennium. It's not actually in the ER. It's everything leading up to the ER doors that you don't see. I definitely think they are wanting to try to bring over all those fans that don't have ER anymore.

After viewing the pilot episode, it seemed like there was a lot more shock value than with other medical shows. Is that something that's going to continue throughout the series?

Kevin Rankin: I think the pilot was really loaded with that, because it was a pilot. I mean, I can't say that's not going to be a part of every episode because there's going to be some really exciting stuff. There's going to be a lot of blood, a lot of broken bones, and a lot of shocking stuff. I guess it is a part of the shows culture that you're going to be seeing what first responders see. You're going to see a lot of gore. I think your going to continue to see that for sure.

What's the most shocking, or graphic accident in your opinion that you guys have done so far on the show?

Kevin Rankin: The second episode we had a guy plow through a farmers market like they did a couple years ago in Santa Monica. An older man had a stroke and just plowed through a big group of people. We did that scene, and I had to try to save a guy, a really big man, and his thighbone had snapped in half and it was sticking through the skin. There was just gallons of blood pouring out everywhere and it was pretty intense. We were wondering if we have a blood quota for the network. I don't think network television has seen the amount of gore that we're presenting.

Tell me a little bit about your character Tyler.

Kevin Rankin: Tyler, he's like a carnie. He's a guy that floats around to disaster sight to disaster sight like 9/11 in New York or New Orleans Katrina. He's ready to go at a moments notice. He's an adrenaline junky. The bad part of that is that he never puts roots down anywhere. He's very floaty, he's a nomad. He landed in San Francisco. He's gone through a traumatic event that has kind of kept him there. Tyler for the first time in his life, as the viewers will see, he's starting to grow roots. He's starting to maybe make a home for himself. He also deals with everything through humor. He'd rather be at work, he's a workaholic. He can deal with a patient instead of going home and looking in the mirror to deal with his own trauma. He'd rather deal with your's.