In Fox’s “9-1-1,” Buck is 118’s resident messy firefighter. Portrayed by Oliver Stark, audiences have seen self-assured (and at times, arrogant) 30-something relationships, work drama, and finding a reliable couch.
However, the sixth season premiere marked a potential turning point for the character: faced with the setback that Bobby (Peter Krause) would not name him interim captain while on leave, Buck had to prove himself tenfold. Tried. Stark said it’s a decision that embodies the character’s emotional journey over the past five seasons.
,[Buck has] There were some big decisions coming his way. He’s attaching these mottos to his life, and then it’s a thing in theory, and he’s going to realize very quickly. [it’s] Maybe a different thing in practice,” the actor said while previewing Monday night’s episode, which will follow an emergency at a joyous convention that will stir up some strong emotions.
Read on for TheWrap’s Q&A with Stark, where he talks about the development of “Reader Buck” and what’s up with the potential will-not-they romance between Lucy (Ariel Kebbell) and the character.
TheWrap: In the Season 6 premiere, Buck is looking for an interim captain, but Bobby tells him he’s not ready yet, echoing previous conversations. How is Buck going in the process of moving forward, and what kind of growth does it need to make?
OS: I think it provides an opportunity to really show the growth that he’s already gone through in the sense that we’ve seen him act when things didn’t go his way before, while only acting what he In retaliation, he decides that he tried to prove himself more difficult. He works hard because of it, and he especially tries to show that things aren’t necessarily bad. In the next few episodes, we’ll see that he continues as he tries to see exactly what Bobby has told him and ways he can apply it to his life that shows Bobby that he’s on the right track. And that is listening and learning.
What can you say about the potential romance between Lucy and Buck in Season 6, now that Buck and Taylor broke up in the Season 5 finale?
I don’t know, but I don’t think there’s anything really abstract there. I believe that when she arrived, neither Buck nor Lucy knew they would become a part of each other’s lives, so it was almost a catalyst in Buck thinking that maybe he was in the right relationship. was not. But he is still out with a broken leg, so he has had no opportunity to grow. But it’ll be interesting to see if there’s anything once she does, at some point, come back to 118, but I think it’ll be a flash in the sort of moment between them to pan back in the season. was a little more of 5.
You spoken before What Buck needs to learn about is how to be okay with himself rather than seeking validation from other people or other things. Do you think we’ll see for him this season?
yes of course. In the next few episodes, in fact, we’ll get a chance to actually see ‘Reader Buck’ taking all these different self-help books and really trying to find what he’s looking for. Used to be. I don’t think he knows what direction he’s headed, but he knows he needs something, so we’ll see him try different life counselors, just as he were.
What can viewers expect from your character and 118 throughout Season 6?
One thing I’m really excited about this season is that it’s really taking its time and developing some of these characters and relationships even more. The spotlight has rested on people for a while. For example, we get a whole load of amazing story[telling] Around Hen and Karen and their relationship, and it’s really taken time to fill these things in even more and allow people to flourish within those relationships. Regarding Buck in particular, he’s got some big decisions coming his way. He’s attaching these mottos to his life, and then it’s a thing in theory, and he’s going to realize very quickly. [it’s] Maybe a different thing in practice.
Season 6 starts off with a bang—literally, a . with blimp crash, What can you tease about future emergencies 118 will have to respond to?
An emergency is set in a joyous convention in the upcoming episode, which was a really fun day, but has really disastrous consequences. It was fun for me as an actor because it’s something that really affects Buck really badly and turns him around a little bit. And I always enjoy when emergencies really take their toll on 118, and then episode 4, for stunt reasons, was a really fun one, where I get to jump on a bicycle and ride around L.A. [which] I love and really threw myself. Whenever I get to show some athleticism or that side of myself – the fact that I got to cycle a lot and chase certain things was actually a lot of fun for me.
What is your favorite part about Buck’s emotional journey?
[To play] Someone who grew up with an obviously masculine idea of what it’s like to be a man and be a hero, but to step away from him and see him deeper into his more vulnerable and sensitive side and embrace him and the things that come with it. It’s really a pleasure for me to bring Shakti She and everyone together in one character.
“9-1-1” airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.
