Filipino-American actress Isa Briones brought Filipino culture to an international audience after she sang the Hiligaynon lullaby “Ili-Ili, Tulog Anay” in a moving episode of the Emmy-winning medical drama series The Pitt, which airs on HBO Max.
In the critically acclaimed series, Isa portrays Dr. Trinity Santos, a second-year resident struggling to adjust to her demanding hospital schedule while balancing patient care, paperwork, and the responsibility of guiding medical students. The show’s episode on February 19 (US Time/February 20 PH Time) featured an emotional storyline centered on a newborn baby abandoned in a bathroom at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center.
The scene unfolded as Dr. Santos was interrupted while updating a patient’s chart by the baby’s persistent crying. When a nurse who initially tended to the infant stepped out to get pain medication, Dr. Santos was left alone in the room with the newborn, referred to as “Baby Jane Doe.”
She leaned toward the baby and softly sang “Ili-Ili, Tulog Anay.” As the lullaby played, the baby gradually stopped crying, held onto the doctor’s finger, and was wrapped in a blanket before the scene came to a close.
In an interview with Vogue, Isa shared how the scene came together and how the decision to sing a Filipino lullaby was made. According to her, showrunner and writer Scott Gemmill emailed her with the idea of including a lullaby, possibly a Filipino one. She then reached out to her father, Jon Jon Briones, who suggested “Ili-Ili, Tulog Anay,” traditionally sung by an older sister or aunt to comfort a child in the absence of a mother.
“It [fits] perfectly, especially for the context of this baby being left there,” she said. “It was a really cool chance to show a softer side and also sprinkle a little culture in there.”
Following the episode’s release, viewers took to social media to express pride over seeing Filipino culture represented in a foreign medical drama.
“This is really good, at least now, meron nang representation ng mga Filipino doctors & nurses sa isang American medical series, na dapat talaga naman, dahil sa totoong buhay ang dami naman talagang Filipino nurses & doctors sa U.S,” one netizen wrote.
Another added, “Pasalamat po tayo at nakikilala ang mga pinoy kahit saang bansa at propesyon.”
In a separate interview with Refinery29, Isa spoke about the importance of portraying her heritage onscreen.
“I find it so strange that up until now there has not really been a lot of Filipino representation in medical shows. It's insane because Filipinos make up one of the biggest populations of medical professionals in this country,” she said.
The series also features other Filipina actresses, with Amielynn Abellera playing Perlah, a Filipino Muslim nurse, and Kristin Villanueva portraying Princess, a strong-willed and fiery nurse. Isa, who joined the show in its first season in 2025, said the visibility deeply affected her from the very beginning.
“It was really exciting once I learned that there were two Filipino nurses. In the first five minutes of episode one, they’re speaking Tagalog. It brought me to tears the first time I saw it.”
Isa also revealed that her character’s name was not originally intended to be Dr. Trinity Santos. While the production knew they wanted an Asian doctor, her specific heritage had yet to be defined. As her casting was finalized, she suggested changing the character’s name to better reflect her background.
“I saw it as a chance to represent my heritage along with Filipino people in healthcare in a small way by changing [Dr. Santos’s] name,” she said. “Even though it’s small, it’s still impactful,” she previously said.
Apart from starring in The Pitt, Isa has steadily built a notable career. She toured with Hamilton at 19, appeared in Star Trek: Picard, and later returned to the stage, making her Broadway debut in 2024 as Eurydice in Hadestown.