“The show has reached such a wide range of demographics, and that’s always such a big surprise to me (people that are younger, people that are older, people from different ethnicities and nationalities). So many people come to me, and they tell me they enjoy the show,” Stark elaborated.
“So, to get to be a part of something that reaches so many different people is more than I thought it would be. It is kind of surreal,” he added.
Stark is drawn to his firefighter character Buck for many reasons. “There have been a number of different things over the years as to why I like him,” Stark admitted.
“I think his big heart has been really fun to dive into. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and that’s a really lovely thing to get to embrace, and that is something that has most certainly rubbed off on me,” he explained.
“I think his openness and obviously his willingness to help others have been a huge part of his makeup and his character, and all these wonderful things that we all aspire to have,” he added.
On the lessons learned from this TV series, Stark shared, “It taught me that I enjoy high-octane situations; I like the craziness that these characters get thrown into. That’s one of the highlights of the show for me.
“It showed me these attributes that I aspire to have more of, and hopefully I can tap into those. It has definitely made me a more selfless person, and it taught me humility,” he acknowledged.
On working with Ryan Guzman (who plays Edmundo “Eddie” DÃaz), Stark said, “Ryan has been great! We’ve shared a lot over the years.”
“We’ve been in some crazy situations together on the show, and we like to joke that we are trauma-bonded from all the crazy emergencies our characters get put through. Ryan and I have a really great relationship, and that holds true with the whole cast,” Stark elaborated.
“To be honest, the family that we’ve built inside and outside of it has been incredible,” he added.
Stark also had great words about Lou Ferrigno Jr. (who plays firefighter-turned-pilot Tommy Kinard).
“Lou came into the show in Season 2, and then, he dipped out for a while,” Stark said. “It was really amazing to have him come back for such a pivotal storyline as well. It has been really lovely to share that storyline with him. I am very appreciative that he was able to come back into the show to make that happen,” Stark expressed.
“Lou is a very giving actor, and he is a really wonderful person to share scenes with,” Stark added.
Stark sang praises for Honorary Academy Award winner Angela Bassett (and “9-1-1” co-star who plays Athena Grant).
“Angela is the best,” Stark exclaimed. “She is amazing; she is the most professional, down-to-earth movie star I could ever imagine.”
“Angela is there early mornings, late nights, and on weekends; she just shows up and she puts in the amazing work that she does. Angela is a really great inspiration to have around,” he added.
Stark recalled working with Peter Krause. “Pete and I formed a really similar relationship to the one we’ve shared on the show over the years,” Stark said.
“Pete has been a great mentor to me, he is a great actor, but he is also a really great person. I am very thankful for our friendship,” he added.
Aside from his acting endeavors, he has a passion for black and white photography.
“It has been really fun to be able to just explore a new creative outlet for myself,” Stark said. “I’ve been taking photos from behind-the-scenes from ‘9-1-1’ and out in the world, and it has been a nice change of pace, and it has been fun to share it with my castmates and my crew friends.”
“It is always a nice thing for me to show the cast and crew the photos I took of them in the environment that they thrive in,” he added.
Stark was candid talking about his facial birthmark, and embracing it. He has received messages from parents who have children with similar birthmarks.
“Obviously, I have a birthmark on my face. It has never really been an issue for me; I have never really been insecure about it, but it has been quite an eye-opening experience to have a lot of people reach out to me, and say that they have kids with birthmarks, and it has been nice for them to see somebody with a facial birthmark on TV,” he explained.
“Again, it is not something I struggled with, so I didn’t expect that response, but it has been really lovely, and I don’t take any credit for it,” he noted.
“The birthmark is just on my face, and my face is on the TV, and it is nice that it has been somewhat helpful to some people,” he added.
On his career-defining moments, Stark shared, “When I did my previous show ‘Into the Badlands’ before this, I remember when I first got that job, it was a very coveted part (that a lot of people wanted), and I was very lucky to get it.”
“I remember thinking that it was really going to change things for me, and it didn’t necessarily. When that show ended, it took some time before I booked ‘9-1-1’ and it was a very humbling moment,” he recalled.
“So, I think it was important to remember that everything is a collection of small steps rather than one big leap. As a result, we often learn more from our failures than our successes,” he acknowledged.
Stark spoke about the overall impact of the show “9-1-1” on viewers, fans, and future generations in terms of accurate and inclusive LGBTQIA+ representations.
“Buck came out as bi-sexual in Season 7 of the show,” he revealed. “This storyline has had a really lovely impact on people who saw this character and felt like there was something that was hidden beneath the surface.”
“This was something he didn’t know how to access yet or didn’t have an understanding about himself yet so to see him unlock a new side of himself in his 30s has been something that a lot of people have been able to relate to,” he explained.
“To come out later in life (a little bit further in his adulthood) has seemingly been very relatable for a lot of people, so that has been really lovely,” he admitted.
“I hope that this storyline will inspire kids — that are growing up — to be that person and to still be a firefighter and all these other things, which is not something that we are trying to break grounds on,” he elaborated.
“There has been plenty of representation of that in media, but it is nice to add to the catalog of that,” he added.
Stark is not afraid to be raw and vulnerable in his role as Buck on “9-1-1,” especially in the Internet age when mental health is at the forefront.
“That is strength more than anything,” he admitted. “So, I try my best to embrace that. We are all sort of turned into zoo animals through the nature of social media, and it makes us look at ourselves a lot harder.”
“So, any time you can take a step back, and try and find something that feels a bit more real, I think it’s important to do so,” he added.
Stark discussed the overall quality of the LGBTQIA+ storyline and the material on ‘9-1-1’.
“More than anything, I am thankful to be a part of it,” he said. “I love the show that we’ve built together over the years, and I love so many different aspects of the show. In the coming months, I look forward to going back and making Season 9.”
“I hope this show gives people hopefulness, and I want people to feel seen by it, and I want to pay my respects through the show to real-life first responders and present some kind of education on what their jobs entail,” he explained.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Stark said, “Contentment.”
On being a part of the digital age, Stark said, “There is no avoiding it, almost. Some people find their way but for the most part, most of us are out there.”
“I think it’s a case of using it as a tool and embracing it in that sense rather than letting it be the highlight or the main focus or the priority of your life,” he elaborated.
Stark addressed the importance of mental health in this digital age.
“I think it’s important to remember that anything you are seeing online is usually curated to be viewed by others, and it’s not always a reflection of what people are going through or what they are achieving or not achieving,” he explained.
“At the end of the day, nothing you see online is really as real as we may think it may be so it is important to take a step back and embrace some real life too,” he added.
Stark listed both “invisibility and flight” as his desired superpowers of choice.
“I would like to disappear sometimes, and I would love to fly because I live in Los Angeles, and you get stuck in traffic plenty of times, so it would allow me to dive home very easily. That would be nice too,” he explained.
Regarding his definition of the word success, he remarked, “Being in a position where you can make the choices that benefit your happiness. Having the means (and it doesn’t always mean financial means) to make decisions that move you into a place of feeling peaceful.”
For his dedicated “9-1-1″ fans and supporters, Stark said, “Thank you for the continued support of the show. I love how invested people are in it, and it’s something that none of us take lightly.”
“I love how much the audience cares about the show and how they care about our characters. At the end of the day, the fans are the reason why we continue making this show,” he concluded.
American track and field running icon Steve Prefontaine once said: “To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.” Oliver Stark embodies this wise quote by the running legend.
