How a devastating injury led The F Ward’s Ioane Sa’ula to acting

For The F Ward star Ioane Sa’ula, preparing for his role in the medical drama didn’t involve bingeing The Pitt or Grey’s Anatomy. Instead, he went straight to the source.

“We watched real shows, like 24 Hours in Emergency and Kings Cross ER,” Ioane tells TV WEEK.

“Before filming, we met with surgeons and emergency department specialists who broke down procedures and explained what really happens in ED.”

The six-part drama follows a group of brilliant but flawed interns navigating life and death at Sydney’s underfunded Pines Hospital, while also trying to figure out who they are outside medicine.

Ioane (The Fall Guy; Bump) plays charismatic rule-breaker Jimmy, a young doctor whose career is put under the microscope after he ignores protocol in order to save a patient’s life.

Ioane says he’s much more cautious than his on-screen counterpart.

“Jimmy and I would probably be great mates because we’re complete opposites,” he laughs. “He’s incredibly confident and just goes for things without overthinking. I’m definitely not like that.”

But something the actor does share with his character is a familiarity with hospitals.

Before acting, Ioane dreamt of a career in football but, when he broke his leg at 14, life changed.

“I spent three months in hospital, almost six months in a wheelchair and had eight surgeries,” he recalls. “I was told no sport and no running for two years.”

The devastating setback ended one dream but led him to another.

“During that period, I had a teacher who encouraged me to try other things. It started with public speaking, then drama, then the school musical,” he says. “The school musical is when I realised I loved acting. That’s the moment I put sport aside and went all in.”

According to his co-star Dan Wyllie (Love My Way; The Narrow Road to the Deep North), who plays ER registrar Curtis, Ioane has made the most of the opportunity.

“He’s incredibly well prepared, incredibly disciplined,” Dan, 56, tells TV WEEK. “There’s such a great energy about him. I had a real blast working with him.”

The F Ward is available from July 17 on Stan.