UNM Film & Digital Arts Adjunct Faculty Member, Hank Rogerson.
“Pulse,” Netflix’s first English-language medical procedural, will be released on April 3, 2025. UNM Film & Digital Arts Adjunct Faculty Member, Hank Rogerson, will guest star in Episode 4 as a volunteer firefighter who is injured in a gas explosion and is medevacked to the hospital for care.
In Episode 4, a hurricane barrels towards Miami’s busiest Level 1 Trauma Center, as third-year resident Dr. Danny Simms (Willa Fitzgerald) is unexpectedly thrust into a promotion when beloved Chief Resident Dr. Xander Phillips (Colin Woodell) is suspended. Amid the worsening storm and an onslaught of trauma cases, the hospital goes into lockdown, and Simms and Phillips must find a way to work together.
In speaking about his preparation for the role, Rogerson shared, “For this role I play a volunteer firefighter who is a burn victim from a gas explosion, so I had to do some research to get ready for the part. I researched firefighting on-line and what it entails, but what really helped me to understand the mindset of someone who would run into a burning building was talking to an actual firefighter. They really helped me understand the thrill and comradery of being a firefighter, as well as a basic understanding of the rules of how a firefighting team works. This was invaluable. Then I also reached out to a friend from high school and another from college who are doctors to ask them about being a burn victim, and they sent me websites and videos, which were all super helpful too!”
Rogerson also shared insights about his three-hour experience in makeup at Netflix, “After three hours in the makeup chair, my face, neck, shoulders and hair were transformed into what you can see when you watch the show. Let’s just say, I look like I’ve seen better days.”
Rogerson had a few pieces of advice to share with students and others who may be looking to enter the industry and land roles, “It’s always good to remember that if you don’t get the role, but they keep bringing you back for more auditions, that means they like you and they are just trying to find the right role for you. This was my first audition for this show, and I landed the part,” said Rogerson. “Sometimes I have to audition a bunch of times to get cast, and for some shows I just don’t land a role. For instance, I had to audition for “Breaking Bad” twelve times before I got a part. I auditioned for five different roles for “Flamin’ Hot” before being cast.”
Rogerson also enjoys the familiar faces from his classes reappearing in the industry. “One of the biggest thrills for me when I am on set is seeing some of my former students working as a member of the crew. Once again this happened when I was on “Pulse”- I knew former students in the camera department, as well as in wardrobe. And what was also awesome–was that two of my former acting students were also cast in my episode. It was so great to see them working!”
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
LEARN MORE about “Pulse” by reading the full article by Ariana Romero, published on March 14, 2025, on “TUDUM” by Netflix. All 10 episodes drop on April 3rd!
https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/pulse-medical-drama
STUDY WITH Adjunct Faculty Member Hank Rogerson in the fall 2025, by registering for FDMA 491: Acting for the Camera.
LEARN MORE About Professor Hank Rogerson by visiting his faculty profile within the UNM Department of Film and Digital Arts, https://film.unm.edu/profiles/hank-rogerson/
Congratulations to Art Professor of Practice Kathryne Cyman, who has been named 2026 Contemporary Ceramic Honoree at the New Mexico Potters & Clay Artists (NMPCA) Celebration of Clay exhibition. This recognition is especially significant as 2026 marks the first year this honor has been introduced, celebrating contemporary ceramic artists whose contributions to the New Mexico clay community are exceptional.
Congratulations to Analisa Peña, who was selected as the 1st place winner in the 2026 Hulsman Undergraduate Library Research Award’s Emerging Researcher category regarding her work, The Many Faces of Christ: Understanding ‘Trifacial Trinity’ by Gregorio Vasquez Arce y Ceballos.
MacDowell, the nation’s first artist residency program, has awarded 134 Fellowships to visionary artists working across seven disciplines for its Spring Summer 2026 season. The program is located in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Between March and August of 2026, each artist has an average stay of four weeks. These artists were selected from a competitive pool of 2,618 applicants with an acceptance rate of only 5 percent.
