After enjoying G. Callen on NCIS: Los Angeles for greater than decade, Chris O’Donnell was prepared for a change. So, when he received the supply to be part of ABC’s 9-1-1: Nashville, he was intrigued. A longtime admirer of Ryan Murphy, O’Donnell mentioned it was an “easy decision, although [he] didn’t know exactly what [he] was getting [him]self into.” The actor readily admits that he wasn’t overly accustomed to 9-1-1, so he had “no idea how insane these emergencies are” which are featured within the franchise universe. “Those first couple of scripts, I was going, ‘wait, I’m sorry. What happened?” remembered O’Donnell. “I would call our showrunner and he would say, ‘No, no, no, this is based in reality.O’Donnell would say, ‘Okay, I’ll go with it.’”
O’Donnell’s character, Captain Don Hart, has two girls preventing over him. Hart’s spouse Blythe (Jessica Capshaw) and Hart’s ex-girlfriend Dixie (LeAnn Rimes), who additionally occurs to be the moms of his sons, Ryan (Michael Provost) and Blue (Hunter McVey). “It was interesting to slip into this character’s life,” mentioned O’Donnell. “The challenge for me was getting my head around that and the culture and the feel in Nashville.” Luckily, O’Donnell has nothing however reward for his proficient co-stars, particularly McVey, who’s new to the business. “This is literally his first gig,” mentioned O’Donnell, who revealed that McVey received the position after somebody in Murphy’s workplace noticed his audition tape for Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. “Next thing you know, he’s making a TV show. He’s a really smart guy.”
O’Donnell additionally had a blast working with 9-1-1 stars Oliver Stark and Ryan Guzman on the franchise’s latest crossover episode, which had Buck and Eddie journey to Nashville to compete within the Firefighter Games. “Oliver and Ryan were amazing sports,” mentioned O’Donnell. “They came into our show with no ego, no special requests, no demands. They were just team players from day one.” The followers’ superb response to the crossover little question performed a component within the renewal of 9-1-1: Nashville for a Season 2. “We are setting up a serious cliffhanger,” teased O’Donnell. “Now that we’ve been picked up for second season, it will not disappoint.”
O’Donnell stopped by the Decider studio to talk in regards to the collection, dish about his co-stars, and extra.
DECIDER: Chris, you’re no stranger to enjoying a primary responder of kinds. What appealed to you about becoming a member of 9-1-1: Nashville?
CHRIS O’ DONNELL: The preliminary query was, “are you interested in doing a Ryan Murphy show in Nashville?” The Ryan Murphy half was straightforward. He’s been prolific and so inventive. The Nashville half was a pleasant change of surroundings, frankly, after simply having lived by way of the Palisades fires. It was a simple resolution, though I didn’t know precisely what I used to be getting myself into as I’d by no means actually seen a lot of the unique present.
Some of the emergencies featured on the present will need to have been a shock to you then.
Yes. People who aren’t accustomed to the flagship collection do not know how insane these emergencies are. For the staff, the crazier the storyline, the higher. It’s the present’s model, and it’s very entertaining. Those first couple of scripts, I used to be going, “wait, I’m sorry. What happened?” I’d name our showrunner and he would say: “No, no, no, this is based in reality. Something very similar actually happened.” I’d say, “Okay, I’ll go with it.”
Don Hart is a sizzling commodity in Nashville! He’s in a love triangle of kinds, his two sons are assembly for the primary time, there are all these disasters happening. What was the largest problem you confronted crafting this character?
911: Nashville has a unique dynamic. I had been so comfy enjoying my final position [in NCIS: Los Angeles] for 14 years. It was attention-grabbing to slide into this character’s life in Nashville. Don’s residing a really charmed life, having married Blythe. She comes from a really rich household, however Don didn’t come from that background. He nonetheless has one foot in his outdated life with Dixie the place he got here from. Now he’s residing on this charmed, fancy world, however on the identical time, he’s a firefighter with this high-pressure job. The problem for me was getting my head round that and the tradition and the texture in Nashville. I needed to determine all of it out.
It is s enjoyable to observe actresses as superb as Jessica Capshaw and LeAnn Rimes spar over your character. What’s it like working with these dynamic girls?
Well, it’s very regular. I’m so used to having girls preventing over me [laughs]. It has felt very pure. Jessica and I’ve met over time. We overlapped on The Practice and Grey’s Anatomy, though we had been by no means in scenes collectively. She additionally used to reside in our neighborhood, so she knew my spouse. We have two youngsters who’re the identical age. LeAnn’s superior. She’s an outdated professional. I feel she gained Best New Artist on the Grammys when she was 13 years outdated? She brings a enjoyable vitality to the set. She’s so excellent at enjoying Dixie too. The two of them collectively makes for some fairly good fireworks.
You’ve received a number of sons your self, however your on-screen boys, Michael Provost and Hunter McVey, are simply beginning to set up themselves on this business. Do they ever come to you for recommendation, be it for his or her on-screen roles or their careers on the whole?
They’re at totally different phases. I imply, Michael’s been doing this for some time and has been in some good initiatives. Hunter, that is actually his first gig. I imply, he despatched in a tape for Love Story, the JFK present. He mentioned, “I’ve never acted, but people have told me I look a little bit like JFK.” Somebody in Ryan’s workplace noticed his audition, and that’s in the end how they discovered him. They had been having bother discovering any individual to play Blue and the casting director mentioned, “what about that kid?” They remembered him. Next factor you understand, he’s making a TV present. He’s a sensible man. You can sit and speak with him on any topic you need. He is figuring issues out rapidly.
Before I get into this week’s episode, I do wish to speak about “Don Begins,” which focuses on Don and Dixie’s origin story. I spoke with LeAnn Rimes who said that she actually didn’t know something about how they met earlier than that episode. Did you have got an analogous expertise?
Yeah. When the present was coming collectively, the writers had been nonetheless determining character dynamics. They attempt to set up as a lot as they will earlier than the beginning of filming. Then, out of the blue, that script got here out, and I believed, “okay, that explains a lot.” Initially, followers had been pondering: “Dixie, she’s the bad girl. Boo, we’re all Team Blythe.”
After that episode, you’re type of rooting for Dixie since you understand what a connection Don and Dixie had. They had been younger and in love, and circumstances separated them, and their lives went in several instructions, however there was a real connection there. She was so heartbroken. There is a purpose that she stored Don’s son from having any contact with him.
I feel Don’s sufferer affect assertion was such a wonderful scene and so cathartic for the character. What do you bear in mind about filming that sequence?
For some purpose, these sorts of scenes really feel very pure to me. They come all the way down to preparation and doing the work beforehand. As a younger actor, I’d actually wrestle with scenes like that, particularly something that received emotional. Over the years, I’ve gotten higher at tapping into these elements of myself. I felt like there have been some trustworthy beats in that sequence. It wasn’t laborious to place myself in Don’s sneakers and perceive what he was going by way of in that second. It was a cathartic second for Don. It was a cathartic second for me as an actor. I imply, that’s a part of the fantastic thing about what we do.
9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Nashville additionally simply had their first actual crossover episode. How enjoyable was it to movie these firefighter video games and work with Oliver Stark and Ryan Guzman?
Oliver and Ryan had been superb sports activities. They had been filming their present on the identical time however made the trek into Nashville. They’ve been doing that present for 9 years. They are a part of the OG forged. They got here into our present with no ego, no particular requests, no calls for. They had been staff gamers from day one. I’ve been by way of this earlier than. It’s so much to ask folks to come back from one other present.
It was an enormous enhance for us to have them soar on our present for an episode. The 9-1-1 followers got here and watched, so it was an incredible alternative for them to pattern what 9-1-1: Nashville has to supply. I bear in mind Oliver and Ryan needed to come again a second time as a result of we didn’t get by way of all of the motion sequences the primary time round. Plus, it was miserably chilly. They had been complete execs. Great guys.
So, let’s get into this week’s episode, “Small Potatoes.” It kicks off with Don discovering out about Blue’s and the 113’s paramedic/aspiring nation singer Taylor’s (Hailey Kilgore) relationship.
It was nice to have them come collectively. They have nice chemistry, so the followers have been responding nicely to these two characters. When you’re doing a present like this, a lot has to occur within the first season to ascertain the characters and supply again historical past. We’ve simply met Don’s son, Blue. At this level, we have no idea about my relationship with Taylor. It’s all coming collectively, and so they’re an merchandise, so it’s all good.
Why do you suppose 9-1-1: Nashville followers are so obsessive about Blue and Taylor? Is it simply because Hailey and Hunter are so charismatic?
There’s a pure chemistry there. The trick with all these exhibits is getting the viewers to fall in love with the characters and hope that they are going to go on a journey with you for a lot of seasons to come back. The writers can set a relationship up within the writers’ room. Sometimes it really works and typically it doesn’t. Those two simply occur to have good chemistry collectively.
What are you able to tease about Don, his household, and the 113 going ahead?
We are organising a critical cliffhanger. Now that we’ve got been picked up for second season, it is not going to disappoint. They simply maintain developing with these amazingly massive over-the-top occasions, and there are extra coming.
9-1-1: Nashville airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC
