How 9-1-1’s Oliver Stark Handles ‘Pressure’ of Buck’s Sexual Awakening

9-1-1 star Oliver Stark knows the responsibility that comes with representing the LGBTQIA+ community on screen; his character, Evan “Buck” Buckley, came out as bisexual on the firefighter procedural last year. And yet despite the newfound popularity — and plenty of brand new eyes on the show — Stark rejects any “pressure” to play the arc perfectly.

“There’s pride and there’s a want to do good, obviously, and for [Buck] to be representative in a positive way. But I don’t put too much pressure on myself,” Stark, 33, exclusively told Us Weekly while discussing his character’s queer evolution. “Somebody called me a ‘bisexual bi-con’ in an interview last year, which I kind of loved. But when I’m in my day to day at work, I don’t think of it in those regards. I just think of it as, ‘Let me just play Buck, and this is what he’s going through and this is what he’s dealing with at the moment.’ And that in itself, I think, is better representation — a bisexual character just living his life.”

Stark, who has portrayed Buck on the ABC series since the 2018 premiere, “really wanted” the sexual awakening story line for Buck, telling Us that he was a “big fan of endorsing it” when it was first brought his way. And while much of crafting Buck’s journey is in other people’s hands — like 9-1-1 showrunner Tim Minear — Stark’s “energy” remains on “playing each scene in the moment” and leaning into the “truth” of who the character really is.

“That in itself is then the representation,” he explained. “So I’m not consciously being like, ‘Alright what foot do I have to put forward here to best portray this in a broader sense?’ I just try and play him as a real person living in these moments, because that’s the real life of this bisexual character. So I don’t feel too much pressure in that regard, not no more so than I have ever playing him. I just play him truthfully.”

Being a fan favorite character is nothing new for Stark; known for going heart first into any and every scenario, Buck has been beloved from the show’s beginning and has remained an integral part of the Station 118 family. His bisexuality merely added another layer to the character, a story point that was introduced during season 7 and shortly after the 9-1-1’s network shift from Fox to ABC.

Season 8 has continued to delve deeper into Buck’s romantic journey, with episode 5, titled “Masks,” showcasing his continuing romance with boyfriend Tommy Kinard (Lou Ferrigno Jr.). The Thursday, October 24, Halloween-inspired episode saw the duo navigating Buck’s multiple injuries that he believed were a result of a curse placed on him by a mummy.

The story line might have been played for laughs, but also served as a “reintroduction” to the new couple in their day to day lives.

“It’s nice, I guess, to have Buck being taken care of after he hurts his shoulder. It’s nice to see that regard and that aspect [of their relationship],” he told Us.

“I don’t know many partners that would jump all in and be like, ‘You are right. You are cursed. How do we fight this?’ So I can’t really fault him for that,” Stark said with a laugh, referencing Tommy’s hesitancy to support Buck’s theories. “And then, you know, he shows up at the end. … Which I think is nice. It was a good little reminder to the audience, because, obviously, we haven’t seen him for a little while.”

Tommy, however, isn’t the only character who shows up for Buck throughout the episode. His BFF Eddie (Ryan Guzman) is also there by his pal’s side for most of the drama. Stark said that getting to work with both Ferrigno Jr. and Guzman in scenes is always a “great” experience — especially when he requires him to sit back and watch the duo in action.

“It’s funny to say this, but [Ryan and Lou] in particular really bounce off each other well, I think,” he explained. “They get on really well, so it’s nice. I just like to witness that. But we have a good time and I like the dynamic there, and the dynamic within the scenes where it tends to be Eddie and Tommy vs. Buck.”

There are quite a few scenes with the trio together throughout “Masks,” from moments at Buck’s apartment to the hospital, with both men serving as a constant support system for Buck as he navigates his “curse.” When asked what Eddie always popping up could mean on a deeper level — some fans have questioned if there is something deeper than friendship between Buck and Eddie for seasons now — Stark paused before offering a thoughtful explanation.

“You know, Buck and Eddie obviously have an incredibly close relationship, and Buck and Tommy are still at the beginning of their relationship,” he told Us. “So in these moments when Buck needs someone to show up, obviously Tommy is there, but then there’s also the stability that he knows, that pillar of stability, which has been, and will continue to be, [Eddie]. He’s not going to cast Eddie aside.”

He followed up by pointing out that it’s good for Buck to have important people in his life “get along so well,” noting that Eddie was part of Tommy’s life before Buck came around.

“Obviously those two characters were great friends before Buck and Tommy were ever a thing. So the fact that we’ve been able to continue that, I think, is a good thing,” he said. “I think they’re both showing up for him.” (As for Buck showing up for Eddie after his son, Christopher, moved to Texas, Stark said viewers will “definitely see Buck garnering a bit more understanding of exactly what Eddie’s going through” as the season goes on.)

Buck believing he’s been cursed by a mummy is undoubtedly one of the character’s most outrageous, if not entertaining, story lines of the show, but it falls in line with who Buck has always been as a character. For Stark, it’s all the balance between lighthearted and more meaningful moments that makes 9-1-1 what it is.

“This character, I like the things that [the writers] throw at him,” he told Us. “From a thematic point of view, I like the fun stuff. I like the silly stuff that [Buck] has dealt with, like, in episode 5, for example. … I think episode 5 is just a really nice blend of all the things that 9-1-1 does really well. It’s funny in moments and it’s a bit silly in moments, and then it has some really dramatic and hard hitting stuff, and all of that is wrapped up into a 42-minute episode.”

While Stark said he prefers to lean into the “funny and silly” side of that 9-1-1 line, he appreciates the “deeper” moments, too — and warns that there will be plenty coming up for Buck as early as episode 6. One of those scenes will include a costar Stark hasn’t shared much screen time with his season: Jennifer Love Hewitt, who plays Buck’s sister, Maddie.

“Next episode, there’s a really lovely Buck and Maddie scene,” he said. “Or, I hope it’s really lovely. I think it’s quite meaningful in many ways. Buck is, as he often is, going through something and spiraling a little bit, and he tends to lean on those around him when that starts to happen. Maddie is obviously one of those people.”

Spiraling, Stark said, is something Buck will continue to do throughout season 8, and the actor foreshadowed big changes he’s excited to watch play out.

“Episode 6, I think, is maybe going to change the path that Buck is on a little bit, change his trajectory. I’m really excited about that and looking forward to seeing what that means for him,” Stark teased. “I don’t know what it means for him yet, but I can tell you this: it’s fun.”

Stark also referenced more of those lighter moments for Buck, hinting at “a lot of cooking” and “baking” in the character’s future. “I had some fun doing those scenes with lots of, ‘All right, mix this and turn this off,’” he quipped, offering up a small spoiler he thinks fans will love: “He’ll be baking with his niece,” he said. With a sly smile, he added, “There you go, you can have that one for free.”

While Stark has been shining in front of the camera for eight seasons, he’s also become a reliable source for some of 9-1-1’s more prized behind-the-scenes moments, capturing flashes of the cast on set through his photography. Stark lights up at just the mention of the creative outlet, telling Us snapping photos has helped “slow him down” and “focus on the little moments,” both on and off set.

“It just makes me kind of appreciate things around me a little bit more,” he said. “And then at work, when I’m photographing behind the scenes, it just helps me focus on the little moments between us. We have still photographers on set, but they’re there for a different reason and don’t have the personal connection or the inside track that I have. The little moments between us that nobody else really gets to see where, that’s what where the real kind of beauty of our relationships lies.”

Stark is most interested in snapping photos when it’s just him and his costars “sitting in our chairs, playing a silly game and laughing with each other,” saying that he feels “lucky” to be able to “honor” the relationship he’s built over the years through film.

“When I get those negatives back and scan them in, I look at them and I just feel such joy looking at these little moments that we share between us,” he told Us. ‘I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s captured forever now.’ And getting to share them, whether it’s sending Aisha [Hinds] a picture, sending Ryan [Guzman] a picture, sending Kenny [Choi] a picture. It’s important for me to memorialize those moments that we get to share together.”

So will those camera skills translate to a future as a director? “I don’t know, maybe one day,” he said. “It’s not something that is in my near future, but it’s something that I could see myself open to, or certainly, like, even if it’s not directing, being in some kind of role that helps craft the story.”

While directing may have to wait, Stark is still having a blast portraying Buck — and emphasized how special it is for him that people have been “clinging” to the character for eight seasons now.

“I know people don’t always think this, but there’s a lot of myself in [Buck],” he said. “I think we put ourselves into anything that we do, any character that we play. So to see him be so beloved, and so apparently relatable, means a lot to me.”

Before parting ways, Stark relayed a message he hopes to convey to fans: “Thank you for loving the show,” he said. “Thank you for loving Buck. It makes me feel very accepted.”

New episodes of 9-1-1 season 8 air on ABC Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET.