FROM JOKE TO CAMEO: GREENWICH DOC STEALS SPOTLIGHT ON ‘YELLOWSTONE’ SPINOFF SET!
A Serendipitous Set Encounter
Picture this: A Greenwich cosmetic surgeon drops off a package and ends up advising on gunshot wounds. That’s exactly what happened to Dr. Karen Soika. Living in Park City, Utah, but keeping her practice in Connecticut, Soika stumbled onto the set of “Y: Marshals,” the hot new “Yellowstone” spinoff. The series stars Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton, who swaps ranch life for U.S. Marshal duties in Montana. It premieres on CBS in spring 2026.
Soika chatted with a nurse on set. Jokingly, she offered Botox house calls. “I was kidding,” she admitted. After all, she’d once been an extra in a Sheryl Crow video during med school. But fate intervened. The extras team passed her card to the casting director. Why? She was a real doctor, and they needed medical know-how for an upcoming hospital scene.
Expert Input Meets On-Screen Action
Next week, Soika joined the production. Her first gig? Guiding a field scene with two gunshot victims. “They wanted to know the body’s position if someone got shot,” she explained. “No one’s sitting upright, acting fine.” She ensured realism, from wound makeup to prop gauze. She even advised on medical equipment setup. “The details are incredible,” Soika marveled. “They make it look authentic.”
But she didn’t stop at consulting. Directors cast her as a hallway nurse during a key shoot. “We acted busy, like a real hospital,” she said. Her flexible schedule lets her help on days off. Crews grind 12- to 14-hour shifts. “It’s admirable,” she noted.
Surgery Parallels a TV Thrill Ride
Soika draws parallels between filming and the OR. “Long hours. Everyone knows their role. Respect the space. Continuity matters,” she said. “It’s like surgery—everything clicks.” Filming runs until mid-December in Park City. More medical scenes loom.
She never dreamed of TV during her career. Trained in plastic surgery and wound care, Soika runs Greenwich Cosmetic Surgery. Yet this “joke” unlocked a new passion. “I’d do it again. I love it,” she enthused. “It’s cool seeing medicine shine on screen.”
As “Y: Marshals” builds buzz—featuring returning “Yellowstone” faces like Gil Birmingham—Soika’s tale proves Hollywood’s wild side. Who knew a quip could land you in Dutton drama?