“Zero Day” star Edenly has been a life-saving real-life emergency room nurse and has been a rising Hollywood career.
The 34-year-old actress, who works at Atrium Health Union ER in Monroe, North Carolina, has won her first major role in the new Netflix Political Striller Limited series starring Robert de Niro.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Lee explained why she decided to pursue acting while continuing to serve the community as an emergency medical professional.
“Acting is something I’ve always wanted to do since I was younger,” she said. “It wasn’t particularly encouraged. It was seen as a hobby.”
“So when I started to settle into my career a few years after working in ER,” she continued. “I just found my husband. I felt very happy with my career, but then I felt… something was missing.
“And then I started looking around, realising that I was an adult myself and had the luxury of choosing for myself.
Lee, a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a bachelor’s degree in nursing, told Fox News Digital that she plans to attend medical school first.
However, she decided that she wanted to “go to her bedside faster,” so she declared her major in nursing.
The New York native began his acting career in 2017.
After appearing in a series of short films, she made her streaming debut in the 2021 Fox Nation holiday film “Christmas in the Pines.”
Over the past few years, Lee has earned acting credits by guest appearances on television shows such as “Resident,” “Dynasty,” “Shehark: Lawyer,” “Twist Metal,” “First Wives Club,” “Find,” and “Parrish.”
Lee also played a role in the 2022 action film County Line: No Allen” and the 2023 adult film “Are You There God? It Is Me, Margaret” based on Judy Blume’s 1970 novel of the same name.
While talking to Fox News Digital, Lee shared how she juggled acting gigs in her ER shift.
“I’m lucky enough that I’m an ER nurse for another 12 years, so I’m loyal to the department and the department is loyal to me, so I have a lot of flexibility and freedom to pursue my career,” she said.
Lee recently told the Charlotte Observer that as a nurse at PRN, she works on a “necessary” basis, allowing her to split the time more easily between the two professions.
She explained to Fox News Digital that managing a busy schedule is a “weekly balancing issue.”
“I choose a schedule for work in the right way and fit my audition schedule. If there are times when I need to take long vacations, my department is extremely kind to me,” Lee said.
Lee is now establishing herself as a working actress, but she told Fox News Digital she didn’t foresee that she would not hang scrubs in the near future.
“I’ve been working professionally for several years, and I’m fortunate and grateful, I have the luxury of honestly letting go of my nursing job,” she said. “And sometimes my husband says, “You should just stop. Why are you still going?”
“And I worked so hard for this too,” Lee continued. “So I feel that emergency nurses are part of me, as is acting.”
Lee said she enjoys each of her calling equally, adding, “Obviously there is something that I pursue a little more diligently, but I won’t be nursing anytime soon.”
The actress went on to point out that she saw the similarities between the two professions and both needed “empathy.”
“I always talk to people on both sides when I realize they’re informing each other very well, whether it’s acting or nursing,” she said. “Obviously, when I work as a nurse and work at my bedside, empathy and compassion are a big part of doing what I do.”
“And since then, I feel that working as an actor is also a constant tradition of empathy,” Lee continued. “And on my bad days, I was able to become a really good actor at work too.”
Lee recalled that there were “a few times” when she had to use her ER nursing skills while working on the set.
“We had a show that we were hired to play nurses, and when we got there, we realised very quickly that they needed a bit of medical expertise when it befalls us with some equipment,” she said.
Additionally, Lee told Fox News Digital that he stepped in to help the injured actor while filming the project.
“I had a small instance working on a short film project with my friend,” she said. “I got hurt when the actor was on set. Between the time it took for the first Medic to get there and the time he got hurt, I was able to help out in a situation that was very critical for many people.”
Lee told Fox News Digital that the “stiffest part” of working as an ER nurse “is repeatedly realising that I live in a less-than-ideal world.”
“I feel very fortunate to be very well bound by my community, but at the same time it’s a privilege, but it’s really hard to see everything that people who don’t work in healthcare are not wise,” she said.
“And I feel that my biggest struggle is how our country is, and that I am aware that what I do and how I participate is improving that if possible,” Lee added.
Released on February 20th, “Zero Day” follows “De niro}, a plot summary for the show, “According to George Mullen from retirement to investigate Zero Day.”
“When he delves into this event, he reveals a web of lies, plots and personal betrayal that threatens to unleash the nation.”
Along with Lee and De Niro, the six-episode miniseries features an ensemble cast that includes Angela Bassett, Lizzie Kaplan, Jesse Premons, Connie Britton, Joan Allen, Bill Camp, Dance Stephens, Matthew Modin and McKinley Belcher III.
“Zero Day” is De Niro’s first lead role in the television series.
The two-time Academy Award winners produced the show along with creators Eric Newman, Noah Oppenheim, Michael Schmidt, director Lesli Linka Glutter and Miramax CEO Jonathan Glickman.
In a recurring role, Lee portrays Angela Kim, a special agent leading the FBI National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force.
Kim joins the Zero Day Committee led by Mullen to work to uncover the perpetrators and motives behind the fatal cyberattack.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Lee reflected on her experience working with De Niro.
“I couldn’t imagine myself working with Robert De Niro,” she said.
She continued. “I think every actor has this bucket list, in our wildest dreams that we can do, like going to Oscars and working with Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep.
“And working with him was an eye-opening experience,” added Lee. “For me, I think my biggest takeaway in working with him is realizing that working really hard is a key factor in ensuring a long and successful career.”
Lee also shared what she was most surprised about working with the “Taxi Driver” star.
“I think we’re aspiring actors and looking up at people like Robert De Niro. We assume these people are unfallen, they’re perfect and they have to show camera responses every day,” she said.
“If there was a day in our early morning he would trip over some lines or something like that, it was really eye-opening. “But he’s ready every day, and this is very impressive.”
Lee pointed out that he did not seek advice or “wise man’s wisdom” from the veteran actor.
“I generally believe he is a very introvert, and between Take and the other, he stays with himself,” she said. “I felt that watching him do the job was probably the best way to learn what I should.”
Following “Zero Day,” Lee is lined up with new acting projects.
The actress told Fox News Digital that she recently wrapped up filming in the independent film “Bedford Park,” the first directorial outing of writer and editor Stephanie Ahn.
Lee said she plays a small supporting role in the film. She described it as “based on two Korean American leads” and “like a more adult romantic drama.”
As a Korean American, Lee shared, “It’s very important to me to be involved in that project.”
Lee also shared that she will be traveling to Atlanta to guest star in the long-time Canadian television series “Murdoch Mysteries.”
“And hopefully the trains will just keep moving together,” she said.
“Zero Day” is currently streaming on Netflix.
