A question as old as time: Is there more than meets the eye about Buck (Oliver Stark) and Eddie’s (Ryan Guzman) relationship? Viewers of the hit ABC drama series 9-1-1 have long speculated there might be more between these two characters since Buck froze the first time he saw Eddie. Throughout the years, words and actions from both characters have fueled this interpretation, and when the show revealed Buck was bisexual, gasoline met fire. Guzman and Stark know this desire for the characters to be together romantically, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen in the show. Guzman talked to Forbes about what’s on the horizon for his character when the show returns on March 6. He was asked if he views Buck and Eddie as platonic friends or potential lovers. “I see something very specific,” he began.
“I pull from my own experience. I’ve had plenty of friends — not so much bisexual, but more so homosexual — that I’ve seen them live their lives. I like to advocate the environment of safety and the ability of trust between different sexualities and different individuals,” Guzman added, revealing that he approaches Buck and Eddie’s relationship differently than others might. There is no one appropriate way to tell a story, and a different approach might have a resounding impact. For Guzman, it’s about rejecting division based on things like sexuality. He talked about championing this outlook, saying:
“I think there’s such a strong storyline within that and the opportunity to showcase to the world — and the now ever-changing environment and with the new political environment we’re in, that there shouldn’t be a division between individuals. I think that comes priority, to be honest, rather than let’s say leading people on into thinking anything else.”
The actor has been asked this question before, and his response underscored the importance of telling rarely-told stories. “I’ve seen this as people are going to see what they want to see, and they want to believe what they want to believe. I’m not here to say that’s right or wrong. I’m very indifferent to it. I love the love, and I’ve always said that,” he told TV Guide. He added:
“For me, I thought it was a beautiful indication, a beautiful opportunity, especially when Buck comes out as bisexual, to showcase to the world a heterosexual man and a bisexual man living or hanging around each other and being best friends, brothers, without anything changing, without any kind of awkwardness or weirdness.”
