9-1-1 star Oliver Stark speaks exclusively with GAY TIMES about Buck's bisexuality journey, whether Buddie "will end up going there" and his chemistry with both Ryan Guzman and Lou Ferrigno Jr.
I noticed that, too. Asked my son who is gay about it. He said it's very typical for a straight man to count on his gay friend to be there when the chips are down. (No, he didn't say "bisexual" and I didn't ask. I think we have 99 episodes of Buddy proving he's bi-, so not going down that road.)
I call it the "Bisexual Ladiesman". The interesting thing about characters like Buck (also Dean Winchester and Jonathan Bailey's character in Crashing) is that they are so smooth with women that it makes it almost too easy to surpress and ignore attraction to men since they're so good with the ladies and then when a guy shows more than platonic interest in them they don't know what to do and their desaster bi comes out. (pun not intended)
I just call it the 'Fairytale for Denbighshire housewives'. Because in the real life they pretty much know what to do, believe me 😂 Smooth is ALWAYS ... smooth.
Aaaah, it felt so good to hear Oliver say: "I see what everybody else sees. I watch the same show. I don't think that the Buddie fans are wrong." Y'all, that means we officially ain't no clowns!!!
this whole thing finally happening makes me want to watch the show again!! i paused around season 3 or 4, and i can't believe they're on season 7!! i felt so much nostalgia watching this
It's so refreshing to see an actor being so relaxed, comfortable, and free in his thoughts and feelings. His answers are not contrived, overly filtered, or sanitized to appease anyone.
following Olive Stark since I finished watching 911, and this is so true. so refreshing, plus he's the type of celebrity who's in it for the craft and art. he mostly just speaks up about meaningful things and is a very private person. i love that!
I absolutely love Buck's bi story line so far. It's so nice to see someone immediately accept who their are without months upon months of denial, anxiety and fear induced tantrums first. I get enough of those kind of storylines watching british soap, their coming out storylines are always a hellride - from Aaron Dingle on Emmerdale to currently Lucas Hay on Hollyoaks. As important as it is to represent all kind of perspectives and experiances I would lie if I said it's not exhausting watching an emotional rollercoaster of self discovery. Buck just breezing through the whole process of discovering, accepting and revealing is so refreshing to see.The man is winning in every aspect - sister is supportive, bff is supportive, crush is crushing back and he has not had one existential crisis yet, it is puppies and rainbows all the way through and I am loving it. It doesn't exactly hurt either that Oliver and Lou is absolutely killing their scenes, the acting and chemistry between them is top notch. And they're freaking adorable. And easy on the eyes, both of them. Really, I can't find one reason to not like this storyline. But I also discovered 911 as a series literally 1 week ago (no, I do not know how I managed not finding the series earlier) so I don't have the deep emotional connection to the whole Buddie concept. I actually prefer the thought of Eddie and Buck as just best friends and platonic soulmates, a bit like Aaron and Adam on Emmerdale. I also don't get the "but he was a womanizer, he never showed interest in men before" squad. Yeah, so? Being bi is not always a 50/50 thing, some are far more inclinded to pursue the opposite sex yet still have the capability to fall for the same sex. Maybe, just maybe Buck never found any guy attractive enough to look closer at his sexuality until he met Tommy. Maybe he is more like 70/30 bi : most of the times he prefers women but if a particularly fine guy comes by he won't say no. Bi does not mean everyone is attractive to you. And like you guys said, it's a god damn Ryan Murphy show. The man did Glee, for god's sake. Watch that and you will learn to accept basically any twist in the world of romance. Anyways I am exited to see were this story goes next.... And 2nd of May is way too long to wait, Oliver! I am having withdrawles already, lol!
Whaaaaaat... that was long, but a read it all 😅... I live in Perú, and happy that I catched all the characters you mentioned... Missing Robron yet 😢... Was the best!! Ryan broke my soul when he left 💔
Totally agree with you about British tv coming-out storyline’s. The current Hollyoaks saga with Dillon is toxic, not to mention the closeted religious fanatic Carter. I think it’s old fashioned homophobia being passed off as enlightened concern. Evan and Tommy, plus Eddie’s reaction is beautifully thought through and presented.
Amazing interview! I love that this storyline wasn’t the bravest episode on television. It’s normal and common (much more common than depicted before on tv) and that was incredible to see. Insightful questions and Oliver is an ally and I can tell he’s taken the time to be well informed on the story he is telling. Love it! Need to go lay down now cause some of the things said…I need a moment 😅
It's such a pleasure to hear him talk so tenderly about the storyline of Buck and I just hope the script of the season gives Evan the development the character needs as Oliver states, and when he talked about how the idea was thought out a couple years ago (probably season 5b), but was shoot down.... we know :)
Hold your fences folks! Buddie is not gonna happen anytime soon. We're just starting Bi Buck arc and Buck might be in a relationship with Tommy. Eddie's with Marisol. Do you expect Buddie to happen after 2-3 episodes? Bi Buck as Oliver said a million times is a long journey arc that doesn't end alone in Season 7. Bi Buck is not about Buddie. Never. I'm a buddie fan, but I'm a Buck fan first.
@elizmarie052983 Yeah, same. I never thought we could have Buck in a relationship as electrifying chemistry as Buddie. Whichever he chooses at the end, we're still winning. But I hope it won't look like rushed or fan service.
Wait what? Buck is finally out on screen? Couple seasons back I got so tired of unaddressed and repressed halo of queer innuendo and subtext surrounding him that I quit watching the entire show all together. I really just got burnt out waiting for the network to pull a stick out of its ass. It was obvious that Oliver was playing it this way regardless of what storyline they were allowing to play out on screen. They just earned another viewer back.
Yep. Buck finally comes out in S7, and it’s fantastic to watch especially knowing now that Tim Minear and Oliver wanted this storyline about 3 years ago but the network shot them down. You can tell Oliver is loving this, he’s finally getting to play Buck the way he wanted and as you say quietly had been under the radar really since series 1.
This was so fun to read and watch. The flow was really nice and the answers/questions were really interesting! Very excited to continue Buck's story this season.
Oliver is so wholesome! I hate that I only watched the tiktok clips of 9-1-1 for the longest time, but I am so glad to be here, fully caught up and anxiously waiting for the next episode, with everyone else lol
He's mentioned it in previous interviews that his accent is quite interesting from a linguistic point of view and he has said that he is capable of making it more British when need be. The interviewer has quite a strong British accent, could be that Oliver just sort of adaptated to that, happens quite often to people!
Everyone codeswitches! A lot of his interviews that we see end up being American so it could be a conscious or unconscious choice to “soften” his accent, so the interviewer being British definitely would play a part. You’ll see this with any couple of actors who are from the same part of the world, their accents will get stronger around eachother.
@@sboyd8312 Yea thought of that too. As someone who speaks english as a second language it’s harder to think that my accent itself would change. Interesting to see this happen in real time tho. The longer the interview goes on the more british he seems to get..
This is why representation matters. For some people, TV shows are the only way they get exposed to LGBTQ+ themes and showing those relationships as healthy and normal and not "OMG the SCANDAL!!" is the only way to normalise attitudes in society as well.
Amazing amazing interview. A situation in which Oliver said everything that's right and lovely, and perfect, and knowing he's a Buddie fan just warms my heart.
Oliver is so charming and enjoyable to watch as Buck and it makes me so happy to know that he supports the storyline and wants the storyline. He and Ryan have great chemistry, but I’m okay if Buddie never happens because no matter what, their friendship is so important, they’re really family. It’s like on Dawson’s Creek when Dawson explains what a soulmate is; Buck and Eddie are definitely soulmates, even if they’re not a romantic pairing.
I only recently discovered this show before i found out about Bucks latest development. Its not hard to see the signs even in S1 when he was supposed to be a macho tough guy it was quickly established there was more to him underneath, even if thats not what the writers or Oliver intended at the time, the sensitivity of Buck I think always made it more likely he leaned towards bisexuality.
What a great interview! I loved how you truly let him know you enjoy the show and are a huge fan because it made the whole interview very comfortable to listen to :) great questions and great chemistry between you two
With the new story line and how extraordinarily well Oliver is pulling it off, he's achieved legendary status worldwide and through all demographics! I soooo love this actor!
I've always loved me some Oliver Stark, and even moreso now with how he's been handling his character coming out as bi. He just seems like a genuinely great guy
No, I don't think I can wait much longer for new Tevan content.. I have literally been going insane since they previewed the next episode wouldn't be until 5/2! 😂 Awesome interview!
Well, Buck's formative influence is Maddie, above all else, so Buck's pop diva is probably whoever Maddie was playing in the Jeep in the early aughts. Kelly Clarkson, maybe? Perhaps No Doubt-era Gwen Stefani? (I also think Buck secretly knows Taylor Swift's entire catalogue by heart, but DO NOT tell Chim that.)
I just can’t get it into my head that Buck has a British accent. Been watching him for what is now the 7th season and just can’t wrap my head around it.
no like i need to know buck's queer influences lmao, i want a scene in the show where he's like "well i guess i should've known i was bi, i used to watch (insert classic bisexual awakening movie from the 90s) on loop"
I must say it is really refreshing to hear actors be respectful of queer fans , shipping and storylines. I am so glad the actors/show runners are not gaslighting fans or being rude about seeing queer coding/themes in relationships on other shows. - The 2010s were rough , either we were told we are delusional by other fans & actors or gay fan art was seen as a joke.
The whole "ally" struggle that Buck had was so relatable. I had so many friends that were some kind of queer when I was younger, and always felt I was just a super supportive ally. Heck, when I first started in high school, me and my friend group called our table the Bi-ble because we had equal parts attracted to men and women. When I started questioning my sexuality, it came with this undertone of "was I ever really an ally? was I projecting? was I just so deep in the closet I met Azlan? have I been lying to everyone in my life?" that really threw me for a loop.
So excited to see where the show takes Bi Buck! Ideally it would be right into Eddie's Catholic-guilt-ridden gay/demisexual arms. Sure, Tommy (or any outside character) was/is necessary for the plot, but I just don't see how relationships with any other love interest for both Buck and Eddie can be stronger than what they currently have even as just friends. ABC would be insane not to pick up on that. (Also yes it might be unlikely for Eddie to come out right after Buck - or even at all - because of everything the TV network has to consider logistically, but plot-wise I've seen fic writers do great jobs at working his queer arc seamlessly into the story so it's not impossible. It'd just be a shame to give up something potentially powerful and beautiful because conservatives watch the show or TV has a queer-character quota or whatever. Anyway, if anyone can do it, it's Ryan Murphy, so fingers crossed!)
*Just went down the rabbithole and found out that the BuckTommy kiss was supposed to be between Eddie and Tommy, which means they were gonna write Eddie queer anyway?! If not for some last-minute cast changes, IIRC. So maybe Buddie is more in the cards than I thought :)
I have watched a few interviews with Oliver and he comes across as such a nice, grounded, and open person. I am really proud to have such a talented actor represent the queer community. It’s so refreshing to watch a storyline without the angst or drama of coming out and where it’s not mad a massive deal of. In 2024 it should be, and how the characters react is handled perfectly. For me, I am not so bothered if Buck and Eddie to get together as I love and appreciate the fact they are best mates and have such close and tight bond ❤
Buddie is a great idea for the endgame, but *first* they need to solve major loose threads. I.e.: • Eddie needs to complete his villain 😈 arc. Mostly because it makes him more self aware and expressive. • Eddie needs to become self-aware that he has been unintentionally extremely shallow in all his relationships, not liking the women as people or enjoying their companionship. Thus, deciding to stop serious dating to avoid giving the women false hope 🤞 it will turn into a loving relationship. • Buck and Eddie need to start missing each other because of the serious relationship of Buck and Tommy eating into their time and Eddie needs to start experiencing jealousy as his position as Buck's number 1 companion is threatened. • Eddie needs to have his Unconscious' influence on him be weakened. Hopefully in a psychosis story like they did with Chimney in There Goes the Groom. EA-3167 would be perfect for the role. That way the story can have its own merits, like a meeting with the Friend Impostor (friendly entity who appears if under severe psychosis in the appearance of a known friend; presumably a form of the Unconscious) for therapy. • They need to address whether Tommy thinks of him dating Buck is serious or casual. (Seems casual, as he is not scared away by concerning behaviour or Buck and Eddie's relationship.) • Eddie realises/is screamed at by his Unconscious that he will be happiest in a relationship with his best friend.
the "haters" that scream the loudest, are most likely to be the most insecure and questioning. hmmmm, Oliver is a strong man, secure in his own sexuality, thanks for being an ally. many folks over-compensate to hide their unwanted attractions, as well as troll characters that resemble their true feelings that they fear
Not only Oliver has a different accent than Buck in real life. His original voice is also heavier, and he seems much more mature than Buck. What a great actor! This interview blew my mind🤯.
Buck’s favourite queer film is Dog Day Afternoon because he idolises Al Pacino, but his guilty secret pleasure is Rocketman 🚀 because he has a crush on Taron Egerton.
What I say to disappointed Buck/Eddie fans is that the door has now been opened. Buck is bi IN CANON - which means from here anything could happen. Frankly it’d be easy to make the case that Eddie is demisexual - but why rush it? Let Buck become more comfortable with himself, and maybe Eddie will eventually be in a place where he can acknowledge that the love he openly professes he feels for Buck could lead to a romantic love. Take what you can get, people.
LOVE THIS STORY LINE!!❤❤ By the way, I was romantically involved with a guy who was known as a womanizer around the office. Sexuality is very fluid. I know people are uncomfortable with hearing that esp when it comes to men. But ya'll need to get over it.
I honestly hope he doesn’t end up with Eddie. The dynamic would change so completely and I just love their friendship. I see so much potential in telling a story of friendship between two very different people. There’s also the fact that Lou & Oliver have AMAZING chemistry.
I don't think Buck and Eddie work. Two people that are just finding out who they are that's a recipe for disaster it's like going down a road in the dark without a map or a light. Tommy is good for Bucky because he calms him down, he has the experience it's exactly what he needs not what he wants and there's a difference. I don't think Buck and Eddie should risk what they have because you never fall out of love with your friends but how many relationships end. I like Tommy I think Lou Ferrigno Jr is doing a great job.
My thoughts exactly. I kinda thought the whole Tommy storyline would short circuit the buddie theory’s for at least a while 😂 but ppl really think that it would be totally normal for what..Eddie to just come out right after Buck 😂😂 That’s a lot even for Ryan Murphy
It’s like his chest gonna explode at anytime LOL he’s sooooo huge Damnnn look at those shoulders Biceps and Pec LORD HAVE MERCY please I can’t breathe haha
I am letting it go , whether we get buddie or not , i love buck ,i hope he explores himself n whatever the story offers its okay , but god will it hurt not have buddie ( i cant say)❤
