The OG 9-1-1 continues to dominate ratings and the conversation.
After moving to ABC, the veteran drama returned to form with an action-packed opener and engaging and thought-provoking character-driven hours throughout the season.
9-1-1 has always been known for its emergencies, but the heart of the series has always been with its incredibly diverse cast of characters.
The star-studded ensemble has (mostly) stayed intact throughout the series run, which is almost unheard of in today’s TV landscape.
As 9-1-1 Season 8 gets ready to premiere in the fall of 2024, we’re looking at the dynamic cast that brings the stories to life and the complex and captivating characters they play.
Related: 9-1-1 Season 8: Everything We Know So Far
Come check it out below!
Angela Bassett (Athena Nash-Grant)
LAPD patrol sergeant Athena Nash-Grant wears many hats. She’s a decorated member of the LAPD, a devoted mother and wife, and a loyal friend.
Athena was born and raised in Florida, and as we’ve seen some of her past play out over the series, she didn’t always want to be a police officer, but life pulled her in that direction.
Athena was married to Michael Grant when the series began, and they have two kids, May and Harry, but the two divorced during 9-1-1 Season 1, though they stayed very close friends after their amicable parting.
Athena found the love of her life in firefighter captain Bobby Nash, though it was hardly love at first sight. After a whirlwind romance, the two found comfort in one another and married during 9-1-1 Season 2 Episode 18.
And while the pair have had some ups and downs since then, including brushes with death and surprises from their pasts, they’re still happily married as we head into 9-1-1 Season 8.
Athena is headstrong, independent, determined, intelligent, and big-hearted. She’s good at her job and always a reliable comfort to her friends and family.
Angela Bassett is one of the most accomplished actors of her time, with two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Honorary Award. She’s a household name, and she shines in the role of Athena, continuing her legacy of beautiful acting and forceful performances.
Mostly known for her films, Bassett has starred in critical darlings like What’s Love Got to Do With It, Boyz n the Hood, Malcolm X, Waiting to Exhale, and epic action films like Olympus Has Fallen and Mission Impossible-Fallout.
A younger generation may know her best from her work in the Marvel Universe, where she portrayed Queen Ramonda, mother of Black Panther, in both Black Panther and its sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Related: 9-1-1 Chronicles: A Look Back at the Series’ Most Impactful Moments
On the small screen, outside of 9-1-1, Bassett gave a memorable performance as Katherine Jackson in the miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream. She’s also frequented the American Horror Story horror anthology, another Ryan Murphy production.
Angela Bassett did the thing and continues to do it. 9-1-1 is lucky to have her leading the charge.
Peter Krause (Robert “Bobby” Nash)
Bobby Nash is the captain of the 118 and a father figure to many who know him.
A recovering alcoholic, Bobby came to LA by way of Minnesota, and his past has played a pivotal role in his life in LA.
Bobby’s first wife and his two children died in an apartment fire in Minnesota caused by a faulty propane heater.
Bobby had been using the heater in a separate apartment from his family to drink, and though the building was not up to code, Bobby blamed himself for their deaths and the others in the building.
Bobby found a family for himself at the 118 and fell in love with Athena Grant. He eventually married her and became a stepfather to her two children.
Bobby is beloved by nearly all who meet him. With his calm nature and words of wisdom, he’s known to be a good listener and someone his team can rely on.
When Peter Krause signed on for 9-1-1, he was a TV veteran, having already starred in some of the best series in television history, including Six Feet Under and the fan-favorite Parenthood.
Krause also starred in the criminally underrated Sports Night and Dirty Sexy Money back in the late 90s and 2000s.
Related: Did 9-1-1’s Three-Episode Ship Disaster Sink or Swim?
Coming into 9-1-1, Krause had the TV pedigree, and he’s continued his legacy with his turn here as the embattled Nash.
He and Angela Bassett have created a super couple beloved by fans, and Krause injects Bobby with a warmth that radiates on screen.
Jennifer Love Hewitt (Maddie Han)
When we meet Maddie Buckley in 9-1-1 Season 2 Episode 1, she’s fleeing her abusive husband, Doug, and escaping to Los Angeles to reconnect with her younger brother, Buck.
Initially, Maddie, a former nurse, is just passing through the Golden State. Still, she decides to stay and quickly finds herself ingratiating herself to a job at the dispatch center and in a relationship with Buck’s teammate, Chimney.
Maddie’s story is the definition of resilience, as she dealt with Doug kidnapping her and killing him in self-defense and dealing with continued trauma from her abusive marriage.
As well as post-partum depression after the birth of her and Chimney’s daughter, Jee-Yun.
Maddie and Chimney finally tying the knot was a wonderful culmination of the pair’s long journey, and season 8 will hopefully continue their happy trajectory.
The 9-1-1 cast is a bit of a who’s who of Hollywood vets, and Jennifer Love Hewitt is one of the most recognizable names in Hollywood. As a child actor, Hewitt has worked for many years, with stints in popular films and TV series.
I Know What You Did Last Sumer, Can’t Hardly Wait, Heartbreakers, The Tuxedo, and Garfield are just a few of the movies she’s had lead roles in. And those movies from the ’90s are still revered to this day.
On the small screen, she led the supernatural drama Ghost Whisperer and the Lifetime drama The Client List.
Fun little tidbit: Hewitt’s real-life husband, Brian Hallisay, played Doug on 9-1-1 and was also her character’s husband in The Client List!
Related: Jennifer Love Hewitt to Direct and Star in Lifetime Christmas Movie The Holiday Junkie
Hewitt brings an emotional depth and sincerity to Maddie, which bleeds through in all her scenes. Due to the nature of Maddie’s job, these scenes are often highly emotionally charged.
One of the series’ best casting decisions was bringing Hewitt on board in Season 2.
Oliver Stark (Evan “Buck” Buckley)
The ever-lovable Evan “Buck” Buckley found himself at the LAFD and the 118 after traveling around the country and beyond after a tumultuous childhood.
Once older sister Maddie left, Buck struggled in a home with parents who were present physically but distant in all other ways. Traveling found him engaging in various jobs, but he found passion and purpose in joining the fire department.
Brash and what one could call reckless when he first joined, Buck has evolved and grown, making him an even better firefighter and thoughtful brother and friend.
He’s devoted to the people he loves, continuously showing up for Maddie and his friends. He’s become a trusted confidant to his best friend, Eddie, and a fatherlike figure to his son, Christopher.
Buck hasn’t had much luck in the dating department, but in 9-1-1 Season 7 Episode 4, he kissed fellow firefighter and former 118-er Tommy Kinard, engaging in a relationship with a man for the first time.
Buck’s bisexual storyline garnered much critical acclaim and charmed audiences, who were and continue to be excited about Buck’s journey.
British actor Oliver Stark stepped into Buck’s shoes and immediately made an impression on fans, who couldn’t help but root for Buck, even when he was finding his way in those early days.
Related: Oliver Stark Reflects on 100 Episodes of 9-1-1 & Talks Buck Leaning On His Support System
Before 9-1-1, Stark played Ryder on AMC’s martial arts-based drama Into the Badlands and had guest stints on British shows like Lucifer and Casualty.
Stark has turned Buck into a fan favorite and is an actor who deserves your attention.
Aisha Hinds (Henrietta “Hen” Wilson)
The brilliant and considerate Hen Wilson is the backbone of the 118. A friend and mentor to many, Hen found a home with the current crop of firefighters at the 118 after enduring a horrible start there under the rule of bigoted and misogynistic Captain Gerrard.
Once Gerrard was dumped and Bobby took over, the core 118 group took shape. Hen truly found her place, and she’s grown exponentially over the years as a firefighter-paramedic.
Always one to know the answer, Hen flirted with becoming a doctor before ultimately deciding she wanted to stay at the 118. And she’s set herself up nicely for a future role as captain, should she want it, as Bobby routinely entrusts her with the care of his firehouse when necessary.
On the personal front, Hen has the longest relationship in the series, having been married to her love, Karen, since we’ve known her. It’s 9-1-1, so of course, there have been obstacles, but their love has prevailed time and time again.
The two share a son, Denny, and they were hoping to adopt daughter Mara during 9-1-1 Season 7.
Still, after a mean-spirited and avenging Councilwoman derailed their plans during 9-1-1 Season 7 Episode 10, good friends Chimney and Maddie stepped in to foster the child until they could figure out how to get her home with them.
It’s a testament to how loved the Wilsons are that they’d have friends who step up for them in any way they can.
Aisha Hinds is a tour de force, not just in 9-1-1, but across her long and varied acting career. Before 9-1-1, she had roles on hit series like True Blood, The Shield, Detroit 1-8-7, and Under the Dome.
Hinds also portrayed American abolitionist and social activist Harriet Tubman during season 2 of the WGN series Underground, a captivating and tragic series that deserved many more seasons.
Related: 9-1-1’s Aisha Hinds on Season 7, Hen’s Evolution, and the ‘Epic’ Adventures Ahead
On the big screen, Hinds has been in several popular movies, including Star Trek Into Darkness and Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and most recently starred in, The American Society of Magical Negroes.
Hinds has only added to her incredible repertoire with her role on 9-1-1.
Kenneth Choi (Howard “Chimney” Han)
Resident jokester Chimney has perhaps had more bad luck than anyone, but he still manages to approach life with a smile, a pop of the gum, and a laugh.
Things did not look good for Chimney when a piece of rebar lodged into his head during 9-1-1 Season 1 Episode 3, but he came out the other side and lived to see another day.
Chimney was the first of the core group to arrive at the 118 and found it to be a challenging experience under Gerrard. When Hen arrived, the two became friends, and once their core unit formed, Chimney found a family.
Over the years, Chimney fell in love with Maddie and faced a few more brushes with death. Through it all, he had the support of the various friends he met through the years, people who became his family.
The birth of Jee-Yun and his marriage to Maddie have been milestone moments for him, and in season 8, hopefully, we’ll get some good times for both the pair and Chimney himself.
He deserves it!
Chimney is played by Kenneth Choi, who, like the rest of the accomplished 9-1-1 cast, has a long list of credits, including starring roles in some of the highest-grossing films of the last few decades.
Related: 9-1-1 Season 7 Episode 6 Review: There Goes The Groom
Choi’s credits include The Wolf of Wall Street to Captain America: The First Avenger, and Spider-Man: Homecoming, and on the television front, he portrayed infamous Judge Lance Ito in the Ryan Murphy produced The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.
Choi has tremendous comedic timing and incredible charm in all his roles.
Ryan Guzman (Edmundo “Eddie” Diaz)
Eddie came along at the same time as Maddie, joining the cast as a new character who immediately had friction with Buck at the 118.
An Army vet and single father to Christopher, Eddie and Buck quickly squashed their beef and became one of the closest dynamics on the show. Eddie fit in seamlessly at the 118, and his arrival truly cemented the team.
Eddie’s estranged wife, Shannon, came back into his life soon after he arrived in Los Angeles, and while she was back in his and Christopher’s life, her unfortunate death left a tremendous pain in the Diaz family.
Since then, Eddie has dated sparingly, dealt with PTSD struggles from his time in the Army, and was also shot in broad daylight by a sniper.
This is to say nothing of his complicated relationship with his family in Texas.
9-1-1 Season 7 Episode 10 saw Christopher leave Los Angeles to stay with his grandparents after Eddie got involved in a difficult situation with a woman who resembled his late wife.
Season 8 should see a version of Eddie we have never met as he deals with a new reality in Los Angeles without his heart.
When Ryan Guzman joined the cast, he was best known for his work in the Step Up franchise, his turn as a twisted high schooler in The Boy Next Door, and his lead role in Heroes Reborn.
Related: 9-1-1 Post Mortem: Ryan Guzman Talks Eddie Relying on Buck & Eddie’s Season 7 Journey
Guzman also had stints on Pretty Little Liars and the ABC legal drama Notorious.
A strong actor with a wide range, Guzman has put his all into Eddie, a rather complex and guarded character. He’s been through the wringer, and Guzman infects him with warmth and sincerity, enduring him to fans who want to protect Eddie Diaz by any means necessary.
Gavin McHugh (Christopher Diaz)
Christopher Diaz is Eddie’s curious and adorable young son, who we’ve seen grow up before our eyes.
Eddie and Christopher are thick as thieves throughout the series. Their healthy father-son dynamic has changed as Christopher has gotten older and less dependent on his dear old dad.
The death of his mother was a devastating blow to Christopher, and in subsequent years, he struggled with that, his father’s dating and his father’s profession. One thing he’s always had since their first meeting was Buck in his corner, someone he could depend on and trust just as much as his father.
Christopher leaves Eddie and Los Angeles at the end of season 7, and we’re all counting the minutes until he returns.
Gavin McHugh plays Christopher, who has a tremendous passion for acting. We’ve seen Christopher grow from a precocious child into a young teenager, and McHugh plays him with immense depth.
He’s a promising young actor with a lot of heart who truly cares about his role. He’s the perfect Christopher Diaz.
Additional Cast
Tracie Thoms as Karen Wilson
Declan Pratt as Denny Wilson
Related: 9-1-1 Season 7 Episode 9 Review: Ashes, Ashes
Hailey and Bailey Leung as Jee-Yun Buckley Han
Askyler Bell as Mara Driskell
Corinne Masiah as May Grant
Elijah M. Cooper as Harry Grant
Debra Christofferson as Susan “Sue” Blevins
Bryan Safi as Josh Russo
Lou Ferrigno Jr. as Thomas “Tommy” Kinard
The floor is now yours, 9-1-1 fanatics! Who are you hoping to see in 9-1-1 Season 8?
Whitney Evans is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is a lover of all things TV. Follow her on X.
