The following is a transcript of the conversation between POPTIZED and Oliver Stark:
SARA SALAMAT: So you’ve been on the show since its start. Playing Buck seems to be a role that is different from other roles that you’ve played, such as Ryder in the AMC drama Into the Badlands. If we’re honest, Buck has been put through the emotional wringer. How hard was it to transition from something of that genre to a procedural drama? Did you ever bring mannerisms from other characters?
OLIVER STARK: Yeah, I think part of the goal as an actor is to always start with a fresh slate. You try as much as possible to not carry over mannerisms and wipe one character clean, and then get ready and start again to the next one. There was about a year between my time on and 9-1-1. So I feel like I had plenty of time to kind of decompress and reset before entering into 9-1-1. Ryder had a lot of internalized pain and trauma—and Buck does have a lot of that as well—but I don’t think he was necessarily aware of it when we started the show. It was much more of a subconscious thing. Buck is a much more outgoing character, so it was really actually quite fun for me to transition because, as far as I’m concerned, it’s just me exploring different parts of myself and getting to bring different parts of myself to those characters. So, you know, as I said, it’s always the goal to continue to play different characters and learn things about myself through them.
SARA: You clearly seem to know what you’re doing, and the show’s wonderful. When making a show of this caliber, it does have many sides. What other departments do you look at and are like, “Damn, I really want to try this”?
OLIVER: One of the big ones that comes to mind is the special effects department, which takes into consideration every explosion and car crash [that] you see. It’s actually happening around us; it’s not just CGI. It’s almost a character in itself with the show because it is such a part of the world that we’re creating. We were just talking about it on set the other day, because they were blowing something up. We’re like, “Wow, you guys have the coolest job.” They are able to pull off on this show, and sometimes [on] a pretty short notice. At the end of the day, we’re not making a $200 million blockbuster movie; it’s a network TV show. Still, they managed to find a way to kind of recreate that scale and bring it to life for us within the scene and then to the audience as they sit home and watch it.
SARA: That’s incredible. You said they blow things up on short notice? Could you imagine like, being really ticked off one day and just… getting to blow up special effects stuff at work? Sounds pretty therapeutic.
OLIVER: You have the same thought! You’d wanna be in the special effects department!
SARA: Looking back on this year, so many shows have had a cast member leave or have gotten the axe this year. How does it feel to have the entire cast return and just to do something that you love?
OLIVER: Yeah, I think it speaks to the message of the show. We are here not to create something just for the sake of shock value. We’re trying to create a show that brings a message of hopefulness and shines a light on first responders and how they put themselves in danger. At the end of the day, we want to show a family who kind of sticks together and is able to make it through to the upside. I think hopefulness is such a big part of the show. Then on top of that, you know, we have such fun making it that I think the caliber of the cast, you know, from the very top of Angela [Bassett] and Peter [Krause], and then you’ve got you know how you share Rockman [Dunbar]. The fact that they are still so invested in the show, speaks to the kind of pride in what we’re doing and the fun that we have. At the end of every season, I’m always thankful for the break and the hiatus. Then within two or three weeks, I’m itching to get back to work and get to do it all over with my friends.
SARA: Oh, that’s really wholesome. In the upcoming season, there’s a blackout. Do you think Buck is going to handle the blackout well?
OLIVER: Yeah, I think he is. I think he’s pretty well equipped to deal with most things by this point in his career. As you previously mentioned, he’s been through a lot of these past few years. So I don’t think there’s anything that springs to mind that would necessarily take him out of his element. I think he [can] flick that switch when it comes to his work and his job and be the hero he needs to be in those moments. I don’t think that he’s necessarily going to be freaked out by the darkness itself—but more just perhaps overwhelmed by the level and the volume of calls that will really come as a result of it.
SARA: Dang. I can see what you mean [about] him being in his element. Who do you think is going to be the first character to lose their composure?
OLIVER: …Maybe Eddie. We’ve kind of seen that he’s already a little bit at odds with technology and coming off the back of a traumatic event, his own. So to kind of tie those two together, [especially] with how there are lots of things up in the air in his life. I think he’ll probably be the one that [needs] a little bit of coaching through things.
SARA: Who’s most likely to get stuck in an elevator while helping someone get out of an elevator?
OLIVER: [Laughs] I’m going to go with Chimney. Not for any real reason— I just think it would be funny.
SARA: Who do you think is going to be the most calm and collected? You can’t say Bobby because I feel like he has no other choice; that’s his default setting.
OLIVER: It’s pretty tough to get Hen flustered. For the most part, she seems to be pretty in control and takes on that role of keeping the rest of us in check and in line.
SARA: Speaking of the dark, let’s talk about the dark themes coming up on the show this season. Picking up from Season 4, the show has planted some roots for storylines involving mental health. There’s such a stigma on men for not getting the mental health support that they need, seeing that it shows a sign of weakness. How did you react to your character getting mental health support? Do you think it was the right move for your character? Do you think he could handle it a little longer on his own?
OLIVER: Yeah, I think it’s a really excellent thing. When you think of a firefighter, there’s a certain kind of macho attitude that may come with that. I think it’s important to show that everybody needs help. I think it’s important to show that everybody needs help. There’s no shame in asking for help, and one thing [about] seeking out help [is] therapy is something that is hugely beneficial to everyone. It’s something that I dip into in my personal life. So I loved the idea of Buck getting to kind of experience that and tell that story through the show as well. It’s something that I think the show has always done very well, in the sense that we’ve never tried to portray these characters as not wanting to show their emotions. They’ve always been vulnerable, they’ve always been sensitive, they’ve always been open. It’s a really important message to them that you can be the hero, super confident, cocky, athletic, and all these things— but you can also cry about your day. You can also be open to feeling all the things that you want to feel. This is one of my favorite parts of the show.
SARA: Do you feel like Hollywood has an obligation to talk about these things?
OLIVER: I don’t know if it’s such an obligation because people can tell the stories they want to tell, but I think they absolutely should. Entertainment is such a huge part of our lives and defines who we are, we grow up watching things, and they help format things for the characters we become. So, I don’t know if you can ever tell someone, ‘this is what they have to make.’ But absolutely, [TV shows] should be wanting to show a positive side to masculinity, and that it is okay to say [men] have all these emotions. Because for me, growing up as a young boy, I think it would have been hugely beneficial to say, “Oh, wow, look, I can be the hero, and I can invest in my own self-care, [in] my own mental health.” So it’s necessary, and the representation of showing that it’s okay to not always be okay, I think, is a really important part of our culture. Our hope [is] that film and TV continue to spread that message.
SARA: In addition to serious topics like mental health, the show does a wonderful job painting characters as survivors and warriors rather than just victims. When compared to other dramas, most shows have a traumatic event happen and never talk about it again, usually, it’s brushed over. However, I’m starting to see that some characters might get it worse than others. Let’s talk about your on-screen sister Maddie (Jennifer Love-Hewitt). She looks like she’s going to endure postpartum depression. So given that her and Buck’s relationship was pretty rocky towards the end of Season 4, how do you feel like this postpartum depression will impact their sibling relationship?
OLIVER: I don’t think Buck is one to hold a grudge, certainly not when it comes to [his] sister. So I think the way Season 4 ended is that she wasn’t being very open about sharing how she was feeling [with] those around us. I don’t know if Buck would have been aware of it, but I do feel strongly that if he was aware of the situation, then the past is the past— he would absolutely want to be there. You’re right, you know, we do fall back into those kinds of dark moments in the show, and one of the cool things about it as well as that is not always the immediate step back into that. Sometimes you feel like you’ve moved past something, and then you’ll get another wave of it coming and hitting you six months later. I think he will continue to want to be there for her in any way that he can because I don’t think he feels more connected, certainly family-wise.
SARA: Speaking of family, are we going to get to see you with your on-screen niece, Jee-Yun? Are we going to see Uncle Buck this season?
OLIVER: Yeah! Not in the first couple of episodes, but I think I would say Episode 4, there is some Uncle Buck and Jee-Yun time.
SARA: 9-1-1 covers many intense storylines. I want to ask what you’re most proud of. When you’re looking back on this show, what’s a storyline that you’re like, “I am so damn proud of this“? What’s one storyline that you are really, really proud of?
OLIVER: I’d always consider my favorite memory on the show are the tsunami episodes. Because I look back and it was such an experience for me. Well, you know, we went down—we actually shot the tsunami in Mexico—and they recreated Santa Monica Pier in these water tanks. It just felt like we were making something incredible, and sometimes when you feel like you’re making something incredible, it doesn’t always turn out that way. When I sat down to watch it for the first time, it looked exactly how I thought it was going to look. I don’t think there’s ever been a piece of work I’ve done where I felt proud of not just because of myself, but because of everybody’s hard work that went into making that exactly what it was. The feeling of pride and achievement was overwhelming. It’s something that I almost get emotional thinking back on because it was just such a humongous effort from so many people, and it really paid off. That will always be my favorite memory from the show.
SARA: That’s awesome. And who doesn’t love Santa Monica Pier? Is there anything in Season 5 that you feel like is going to top this, or do you really hold the tsunami episodes close to your chest?
OLIVER: I really hold them close because it was relatively early on as well. It was just such a big milestone for me. Whereas now, even though we’re still doing amazing things, it’s like, I’ve got something in my bag— I’ve got some experience of doing these things. So it’s just not the first time anymore. But you know, the nature of the show is they’re always going to try and push and try and get bigger, crazier, and more wild. Now, every year that we get to go again, I’m excited for this scale and the scope of what’s to come because I know that they’re sitting in that writers room, and they’re thinking, “Alright, how do we go one step further? And how do we achieve this?”
SARA: If Season Five 5 could give one line of advice to Season 1 Buck, what would it be, and why?
OLIVER: I think it would be something along the lines of “Hey, you are really good at your job. But you still got a lot to learn. You don’t know it all yet. So let’s just calm down a little bit and listen to the more experienced people around you.” Because, in Season 1 he was particularly Gung Ho, in his view of saving the day sometimes to his detriment. I think I would just tell him to ease up, calm down a little bit, and assess before running headfirst into some bad situations.
SARA: I have a feeling he wouldn’t listen to you because he’s Season 1 Buck.
OLIVER: Yeah probably… but hey, you gotta try!
9-1-1 airs this coming Monday, September 20th, 2021 at 8/7c on FOX, and streams the next day on Hulu and the FOX NOW app.
