Importance Score: 20 / 100 🔵
Actress Eden Lee Balances Emergency Room Nursing with Hollywood Stardom
Eden Lee, star of the new Netflix series “Zero Day,” deftly manages a dual career, serving as both a registered emergency room nurse and a rising actress in Hollywood. The 34-year-old performer, currently working at Atrium Health Union in Monroe, North Carolina, gained prominence with her first significant role in the political thriller “Zero Day,” a limited series on Netflix alongside Robert De Niro. This article explores how Lee navigates her demanding schedule and fulfills her passions in both medicine and entertainment.
From Emergency Room to Center Stage: Lee’s Career Journey
Early Aspirations and Career Shift
In a recent interview, Lee shared that acting was a long-held ambition, considered a mere pastime during her youth. Initially focused on a medical path, Lee revealed, “Acting is something I’ve always wanted to pursue since childhood. However, it wasn’t strongly encouraged and was perceived as more of a hobby.”
After establishing herself as an ER nurse, Lee found professional fulfillment but sensed something was missing. “Several years into my ER career, I felt content and found personal happiness,” she explained. “However, I also felt a void. This led me to explore acting classes, embracing my autonomy as an adult to pursue personal interests.”
Transition to Acting
Lee, a nursing graduate from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, originally intended to pursue medical school. However, her desire for immediate patient care led her to choose nursing. “I wanted to be at the bedside sooner,” Lee stated, explaining her decision to major in nursing.
Building a Filmography
Hailing from New York, Lee commenced her acting journey in 2017, featuring in various short films before her streaming debut in the 2021 Fox Nation holiday film, “Christmas in the Pines.”
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
In subsequent years, Lee expanded her acting portfolio with guest roles in popular television series including “The Resident,” “Dynasty,” “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” “Twisted Metal,” “First Wives Club,” “Found,” and “Parish.”
Her film credits also include roles in the 2022 action movie “County Line: No Fear” and the 2023 coming-of-age adaptation “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” based on Judy Blume’s renowned 1970s novel.
Balancing Two Demanding Professions
Flexible Scheduling and Dedicated Departments
Discussing the challenges of juggling acting with her ER duties, Lee acknowledged the support from her workplace. “Fortunately, with 12 years in emergency nursing, I have cultivated loyalty with my department, and they reciprocate, offering considerable flexibility to accommodate my acting career,” she disclosed.
As a PRN nurse, working “as-needed,” Lee told the Charlotte Observer this arrangement allows her to effectively divide her time between both professions.
Lee clarified that managing her dual career is a weekly balancing act. “I tailor my work schedule to align with auditions and filming commitments. When extended leave is necessary, my department is remarkably understanding,” Lee explained.
Commitment to Nursing
Despite her acting success, Lee emphasized her commitment to her medical career. Although she recognizes the option to focus solely on acting, she intends to continue nursing. “I’ve been working professionally in acting for several years and have reached a point where I could prioritize it fully,” she admitted. “My husband even suggests I should quit nursing. However, I’ve invested significant effort in my nursing career, and emergency nursing feels intrinsically linked to my identity, just as acting does.”
Lee values both vocations equally, stating, “While acting currently demands more focus, I don’t foresee abandoning nursing anytime soon.”
Synergies Between Nursing and Acting
Empathy as a Common Thread
Lee identifies notable parallels between nursing and acting, particularly the crucial role of empathy in both fields. “I frequently mention that my experiences in nursing and acting mutually enhance each other,” she commented. “Empathy and compassion are foundational in bedside nursing. Similarly, acting continually cultivates empathy. Even on challenging days, my nursing role requires me to effectively ‘act’ in a professional manner.”
Lee recounted instances where her ER nursing skills directly benefited film sets. “On one project where I played a nurse, I quickly realized my medical expertise was needed to handle equipment,” she recalled.
Additionally, Lee recounted assisting an injured actor on a smaller film project before the on-set medic arrived, demonstrating her quick response in a potentially critical situation.
The Realities of Emergency Nursing
Lee described the most challenging aspect of ER nursing as witnessing societal shortcomings. “Realizing the imperfections of our world is the toughest part of my nursing job.”
“I feel privileged to be deeply connected to my community. However, it’s also disheartening to witness realities often hidden from those outside healthcare,” she added.
Lee hopes her contributions, both in and out of the ER, positively impact society. “My biggest struggle is acknowledging the current state of our nation and striving to improve it through my actions,” Lee concluded.
“Zero Day” and Hollywood Experience
About “Zero Day”
Released on February 20th, “Zero Day” centers on a former US President, George Mullen (De Niro), who is drawn out of retirement to investigate a catastrophic cyberattack, dubbed “Zero Day.”
The series synopsis reveals, “As he investigates, Mullen uncovers a complex network of deceit, conspiracies, and personal betrayals threatening national stability.”
Star-Studded Cast and De Niro’s First TV Lead Role
The six-episode miniseries boasts a prominent ensemble cast, including Angela Bassett, Lizzy Caplan, Jesse Plemons, Connie Britton, Joan Allen, Bill Camp, Dan Stevens, Matthew Modine, and McKinley Belcher III.
“Zero Day” marks Robert De Niro’s inaugural leading role in a television series. The acclaimed two-time Academy Award winner also served as an executive producer alongside creators Eric Newman, Noah Oppenheim, and Michael Schmidt, as well as director Lesli Linka Glatter and Miramax CEO Jonathan Glickman.
Lee’s Role in “Zero Day” and Working with a Legend
In a recurring capacity, Lee portrays Special Agent Angela Kim, leading the FBI National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force. Kim joins the Zero Day Commission, headed by Mullen, to identify those responsible for the devastating cyberattack and their motives.
Reflecting on working with De Niro, Lee expressed disbelief. “Working alongside Robert De Niro was beyond my wildest aspirations,” she shared.
Lessons Learned from Robert De Niro
“Every actor harbors dream collaborations, like working with Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep,” Lee added. “This opportunity surpassed even my most ambitious expectations.”
“Working with him was incredibly insightful. The primary lesson I gleaned was that dedication and kindness are essential for a sustained and successful career,” Lee emphasized.
Lee revealed her surprise at De Niro’s approachability. “We often idealize iconic figures like Robert De Niro, assuming infallibility. However, observing him occasionally needing multiple takes humanized the experience. It reinforced that consistent effort and preparation are paramount. He arrives ready to work each day, which is truly admirable.”
Future Projects
Lee did not solicit direct advice from De Niro, respecting his introverted nature. “He generally keeps to himself between scenes. Observing his work ethic was the most valuable learning experience,” she noted.
Continuing Acting Career
“Bedford Park” and “Murdoch Mysteries”
Following “Zero Day,” Lee is actively pursuing new acting ventures. She recently completed filming for the independent movie “Bedford Park,” the directorial debut of writer-editor Stephanie Ahn.
Lee described her supporting role in “Bedford Park” as part of a coming-of-age romantic drama centered on two Korean-American leads. As a Korean-American actress, Lee felt it was personally significant to participate in this project.
Lee also announced her upcoming guest appearance in the long-running Canadian series “Murdoch Mysteries,” filming in Atlanta.
“Hopefully, my career momentum continues,” she concluded.
“Zero Day” is currently available for streaming on Netflix.