9-1-1 actor Oliver Stark has condemned the homophobic backlash following his character’s same-sex kiss in a surprise storyline that aired to mark the show’s 100th episode.
Spoilers for the latest episode of 9-1-1 follow – you’ve been warned Thursday’s episode (April 4) of the American drama series sees Stark’s character, firefighter Evan “Buck” Buckley, share a kiss with LAFD pilot Tommy Kinard (Lou Ferrigno Jr) after some flirtation.
Social networks erupted after the kiss, with most fans sharing their excitement for Buck’s story. However, some negative commentators said that the kiss “ruined” the storyline.
Stark said on Instagram that he was “humbled and overwhelmed” by the positive reaction to Buck’s bisexuality, but he was disappointed to see the negative reaction.
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“If you’re in the small group of people who commented on my post about how this ruined the show, I want you to know that I don’t care,” he said.
Stark added that 9-1-1 is a show about “love and inclusion” and that those offended by Buck’s bisexuality are missing the point. “It’s a show about love and inclusion.
It’s about same-sex relationships from the ground up, including a beautiful black lesbian wedding played by two of the best actresses I’ve ever seen,” he said.
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“If another character discovering a new aspect of their sexuality and realizing their bisexuality is your highlight, I’m afraid you’ve missed the whole point of the series.
He concluded: “You do not need to announce your departure.” Stark told Entertainment Weekly that he felt like the groundwork for Thursday’s kiss had been laid over many seasons — even if it wasn’t obvious to viewers.
“I think it took many seasons, so it’s nice to see it officially come to fruition,” he said. I think there is debris there. Perhaps on the one hand in a quite obvious way, but on the other hand, in a less obvious way.
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Stark said his character was “recruited” to deal with in future episodes when he began to open up about his sexuality with those closest to him.
“Surely someone who discovered this in their thirties would wonder, right? ‘What does it mean? “Who am I?,” he declared.
So the next episode will have a resolution point, then rely on those closest to you to find the right time to open up and share how much. 9-1-1 breaths of air Thursdays at 8pm ET/PT on ABC in the US and streams on Disney+ in the UK.
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