As 9-1-1 returns to TV screens with an explosive spring premiere, the potential exit of Eddie Diaz, Ryan Guzman's character, was at the forefront.
A crucial character on the show since season two, Eddie is now wrestling with the decision of staying with his 118 family in Los Angeles, or returning to El Paso, Texas to care for his son Christopher and be with the rest of his family — and it's a conflict that Ryan himself can't help but identify with.
"Understanding where the character's going and not having an idea of where it might lead has [left me] anxiety ridden because I have no clue how long Eddie stays in Texas, or what happens in Texas," Ryan confessed in an exclusive conversation with HELLO!.
© Ben Cope"I remember giving a call to Tim Minear and asking him if I'm still going to be on the show this season [laughs]. And he said, 'No worries, don't worry, I got something.' He's cooking something up. You play into the uncertainty of it and it helps out with the character building and allows the scenes to be a little bit more authentic, because there is some sense of ambiguity."
As for the season itself, though, Ryan says there is still a lot more to come.
"We're going to have a lot in store for you, and some massive changes are coming. I'll say this, just when you thought we've done it all on 9-1-1, we have something in store for you that you haven't seen yet. I wish I could say more, but you're going to have to wait."
Does Eddie stay or go? Does his relationship with Evan "Buck" Buckley change? Does it change things for him or the 118?
Ryan breaks down his character's "new start," balancing 9-1-1 with his other film projects, and figuring out parenting as a single dad.
Whether Eddie leaves LA or stays, it still feels like a new start for him. Where would you personally like to see him end up?
Ryan: Uh…Nashville? No, I'm just kidding. I think LA.
That's where he found his forever family with the 118 and if there's an opportunity to figure out a chance to get his son or even his mom or his dad, or even his sisters that we haven't seen in probably seven years back to LA and create more of a family dynamic, then I'd love to see him there.
By the end of the spring premiere, the 118 knows about Eddie's decision, and they're very supportive. What has it been like building those personal connections with Peter Krause, Aisha Hinds and Kenneth Choi over the years?
Ryan: They're family. This is the longest I've ever been on a project; I think it's the longest any of us have ever been on a project, so it's just inherent that you create these bonds with each other. It's so unique because you spend more time together on set than you do sometimes with your family members at home. I love each and every one of them.
They've helped me out in so many ways. The way the 118 has helped out Eddie, the cast has helped me out personally in so many different times, it's just been really nice.
© DisneyEddie and Buck obviously have such a strong bond, how has your relationship with Oliver Stark changed over the years?
Ryan: Honestly, I would say the strongest friendship that I have from the cast is probably Kenny. We talk all the time and we like to make each other laugh, and you pick up on that through our social media, doing stupid little videos that make everybody laugh.
That's not to say that [Oliver and I are] not friends in real life, but the best friends thing is more of the Buck and Eddie relationship. But Kenny is probably the one I hang out with more and talk to most.
When you think back to getting the role in 2018, what was it about Eddie you loved that made you want the role?
Ryan: Innately it was the idea that he was an army vet and he had done his tours. I always hold a little soft spot for those types of roles, just for the fact that I have a family member who served quite a few tours and I've played somebody in the military a couple of times now.
It's something that I try to revisit to get a little bit more in depth and [bring] more texture to the character, and offer an audience the opportunity to really connect with somebody who's seeing some of the craziest things that are available to war.
That and when Tim Minear calls you and brings you into his office and says, 'We really want you on this show', it's hard to say no, you know? It's just an amazing opportunity.
© DisneyHow would you say things have changed for you as a person when you look at yourself pre 9-1-1 versus now in the 9-1-1 era?
Ryan: Night and day difference. There's definitely been a deconstruction and a reconstruction of my own self. I'm more grateful than I have ever been in my entire life for what I have and the things that I lost to get what I have. I'm also just more aware, I believe.
There's been so many attributes that I couldn't have foreseen prior to 9-1-1 that I've gained since then. I really try to work on and evolve myself.
Also, just acting in general. I would say before 9-1-1, I was just lucky enough to be a working actor and do what I felt would get the job. Now, I feel a sense of ownership for my own acting and put in a lot more time and effort into creating the nuances for Eddie and whatever character I have from here on out. There's been such an evolution that I, again, go back to gratitude.
© DisneyEddie is also a very dedicated father. What has playing Eddie taught you about fatherhood?
Ryan: Eddie's taught me to always be there for my children, even in the hardest times. To put them first, even when you're going through something. There's been so many instances where we've done scenes where Christopher's having growing pains and Eddie has to be there. The subtext behind everything is just make your son feel heard and feel good and like he's very capable of doing the thing he wants, and I've taken that with my own children.
I have a self-sustaining ecosystem, I guess, because whatever I do with Eddie kind of helps me out in my personal life with my kids. Then when I go through experiences with my kids, I get this newfound level of fatherhood that I can pull from, then I go back to Eddie and implement it.
© Getty ImagesEddie's rediscovery of his faith has been handled so beautifully by the show, and you've talked about entering the Catholic seminary when you were younger. Have you had conversations with Tim about ensuring the complexities of faith and religion are portrayed well on the show?
Ryan: No, because I think he's done a great job. He's had such a long career as a writer for that reason. He doesn't do anything half-hearted and I believe that Tim has found a way to convey certain hard topics without beating the audience over the head with it.
With religion, it could spur people into thinking something that isn't there, or provoke people to have a conversation that doesn't need to be had.
With 9-1-1, they do a great job of highlighting the idea that he ran away from his faith, with all the chaos going on in his environment, then when he found some type of sanctuary with the 118, he started to slowly but surely access his faith and realize it wasn't just a bad thing.
There's so many great things that can get pulled from it. Again, this is all to Tim's credit. I just follow suit. I wait for the script and I put my own little texture to it.
© FOXYou recently starred in the film The Present, and in the upcoming Midnight, you work with Rosario Dawson. What was your experience like working with her?
Ryan: I've had the pleasure to work with some incredible individuals, highly talented and beautiful souls, and she is by far one of those top individuals.
I think it was a little hair and makeup cabin that we first shot in. I was on the phone with my mom as she was FaceTiming me with my kids to show them where I'm at, and then Rosario comes in. The first thing she does is give me a big old hug and just treats me like we've known each other for years, and that didn't stop.
The whole time we were filming, it was just that loving embrace, that welcoming invite to whatever I wanted to do on set. When you have that atmosphere and it comes from the lead, you feel so much more comfortable and you feel more safe in your skin to try new things. Rosario is an incredible individual.
How do you balance the rigorous schedule of filming a procedural show with your film commitments to also being a parent?
Ryan: I don't know if there is a balance yet. I think of it this way, and I've said this a couple of times to a couple of my friends, that I don't feel like I want to find a balance. I think it's a constant state of balancing the imbalanced, and with my work and my personal life, it's a day to day thing.
With this new landscape of being divorced and splitting the children, how do I integrate that with, say, I get a job in Australia? Well, let's figure it out! The part I used to dread is now the part I look forward to, because it's the whole journey.
© DisneyLike embracing the chaos, so to speak.
Ryan: Yeah, I've learned to trust myself. A good friend of mine, I asked him how he was so confident in speaking in large rooms, and he told me that he would speak in smaller settings and work on his craft until he got the ability to feel confident in those large rooms, and I took that and applied that to everything now.
I trust myself more now because I can handle the chaos a little bit more.
I've had many years under my belt being an actor, I know what it entails. I now have a four-year-old and a six-year-old. Slowly but surely, I understand what this entails as a father and I just feel more full and confident as a man in general. Whatever happens in the future, I know that I can tackle it with… not necessarily ease, but a lot more confidence.
Watch 9-1-1 on ABC at 8/7c on Thursdays and catch up on Hulu.
