Rising fast as one of Hollywood’s most compelling breakout talents, Ash Santos is in the midst of a defining career moment—and savoring every second. The Dominican and Puerto Rican actress stars as Andrea Santos in Marshals, Taylor Sheridan’s buzzy expansion of the Yellowstone universe, which premiered to 9.52 million viewers, marking CBS’s biggest debut in seven years.
For Santos, landing the role was nothing short of emotional—“I just immediately started crying,” she says of getting the call—and stepping into the character meant stripping everything back. Her approach leaned into a more raw, low-maintenance routine that mirrors her tough, tomboy marshal. As her star continues to rise across Netflix and beyond, Santos opens up about entering Sheridan’s world, the beauty of becoming her character and the moment it all felt real.
How did it feel when you found out you were going to be part of the Taylor Sheridan universe? It’s kind of a big deal.
“It was just that quintessential moment of like, ‘Oh my God, it’s happening!’ I sort of had a feeling it was coming my way. At the test, John Papsidera had pulled me inside and let me know my chances were good, but you don’t really know until the offer comes through. Anything can happen. I was driving, and my manager called me. It was a pause, and then he just said: ‘Congratulations.’ I just immediately started crying. It’s been a huge, tremendous blessing in my life. I was just reduced to tears instantly.”
The numbers are astronomical—many, many millions are watching. How did it feel to hear that many people are tuning in every week?
“I had no idea! You hope for the best, but I don’t think I could have hoped for that. The numbers are amazing. We feel very lucky, truly.”
It seems like a fun show to work on. What are some steps for getting into character and the beauty notes? How did that all come together?
“Oh, that was fun, because it was very much like pull back, pull back, pull back. We need her as plain as possible. She’s a marshal. She’s not too fussed over her appearance. She’s very much a tomboy as well, which I have fun with. Character-wise, she is very different from me, which is a lot of fun for me to step into. She’s a lot harsher. She has rougher edges. I tend to be more of a people-pleaser in my life! She is not! That’s been fun for me.
It’s also been interesting because Andrew is very polarizing for people. The response to her has either been great, or a lot of, ‘Oh my gosh, who is she? Who does she think she is?’ Which I love. I find that really fun. The conversations around her and her beauty were very interesting because she also, as time goes on, you’ll see her unfolding in a really beautiful way.”
You’ve been doing this acting thing for a bit. Do you have any cleansers or skin care products you really love for getting everything off after a long day of filming?
“I recently started using Mad Hippie. I love their stuff. They’ve got this great jelly cleanser with this also cleansing oil that I use together. There were days we were filming outside in the woods. I’m talking dirt in my teeth! There was a lot of, ‘I cannot wait to wash all this off.’ Our head of makeup, Leilani Baker, gave me those. It was a game-changer for me because it melted everything off my skin and made me feel like I had a clean slate. It seems like it’s pretty clean. too. Anyway, I love their cleansers.”
Amazing. You didn’t grow up in LA, but now you have to spend some time there. How did it feel like the first time you went to Hollywood from Salt Lake and started working?
“Oh, my gosh. It was for American Horror Story. It was my first time actually spending real time in LA. I had a daughter who had just turned two, and a son who was about four months old when I booked that job. I had to leave my kids so I could go to work. I was breastfeeding, so I had to essentially get rid of my milk and go through it…it was probably the hardest time of my life, while also being the most wonderful time of my life. I did not expect to book a show like that so quickly.
Being on the Fox lot, getting to drive and work there every day, opposite Kathy Bates and Sarah Paulson, I felt like I was living in a dream. I felt like I had stepped into someone else’s life, and I was borrowing her for a few months. It was very beautiful—it felt like my dreams were coming true, but it was also very difficult being away from my babies and having to fly across the country to see them. I wouldn’t change that time for anything, because it taught me so much about myself and showed me what I’m capable of. I love thinking back on that time.”
