VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Keiko Agena Reveals How She Mastered Playing A Medical Examiner On Fox’s ‘Prodigal Son’

Keiko Agena, who plays Dr. Edrisa Tanaka on Fox’s crime drama Prodigal Son, gave uInterview a look into her character this season and discussed what goes into playing a police medical examiner on the show.

“There’s a lot coming up in ‘Death’s Door’ that is happening tonight where Edrisa is forced to, because of circumstances, explains why she does the things that she does and thinks the way that she thinks,” Agena, who co-starred on the TV cult classic Gilmore Girls, told uInterview exclusively. “I think when push comes to shove, and you have to justify yourself, some amazing truths will kind of spill out, things that maybe you didn’t even know about yourself.”

“We are going to find out more about the girl in the box,” teased Agena. She said that “Death’s Door” refers to the “precarious place” Martin Whitly (played by Michael Sheen) is right now, which leads to some hallucinations about the girl in the box.

“She’s like a kid in a candy store,” said Agena about her character this episode. She has a chance to go out in the field at a funeral directors convention. She finally gets to be part of the team according to Agena.

“I think there’s something about Edrisa that just wants to be one of the guys and be comfortable,” she joked.

Agena also gave uInterview a look at what goes into researching a role like a medical examiner. She revealed that the show had a real-life New York Police Department medical examiner come in to help her with her character. He told her that being a medical examiner is like solving a puzzle.

“You almost feel every time that you’re going through this that you might just solve the unknowable thing, that you might stumble upon some secret as you’re doing your job,” she recalled.

Prodigal Son airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET.