Earlier than 9-1-1 entered its ninth season, the long-running firefighter drama promoted a few recruits, together with Elijah M. Cooper, who took over the function of Harry Grant starting in Season 7. The son of Athena (Angela Bassett) and Michael, and stepson to the late Bobby Nash (Peter Krause), he’s been at odds together with his mother ever for the reason that Season 9 premiere established he’d dropped out of highschool as a recent 18-year-old. However now, within the newest episode, “Combating Again,” Harry finds his goal: Becoming a member of the 118 as a rookie.
Of Season 9, Cooper tells Parade the overarching theme is unity: “We’re exploring plenty of completely different dynamics, and the primary undertone is household. And the way does household transfer ahead? How does household additionally keep in mind? We began off with saying, ‘That is now Bobby’s home, that is his hearth station.’ We’re not forgetting the occasions that occurred, however we’re looking for a strategy to transfer ahead.”
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However as viewers have seen all year long, Harry’s bid to comply with in his stepfather’s footsteps results in tensions within the Grant residence, as Athena struggles to reconcile her son’s headstrong nature with the harmful realities of his newfound ardour — the identical profession path that led to the dying of her husband final season. With Oliver Stark’s Buck and his on-screen sister Could (Corinne Massiah) as backup, and a much-needed heart-to-heart, Harry and Athena attain an understanding that permits each of them peace of thoughts and braveness.
Cooper credit the present’s writing staff for crafting grounded private dramas that hold individuals watching: “How can we lean on one another? How can we love one another? It has been actually stunning to see how that’s all coming collectively in an area of loss on this season.”
Within the beneath interview, Cooper unpacks Harry’s firefighting journey and teases what’s forward for the brand new trainee.
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First off, congrats on the Season 9 promotion. Going into this season, do you know your character’s arc? What was the method of studying the script and discovering out?
I, after all, knew that I would be making a transfer into the 118, in order that was the massive piece for me: Seeing how Harry has gone by way of these ups and downs, although, I wasn’t as clear on, but it surely’s a extremely cool journey for me, as a result of I am studying the 118 and I am studying this new firefighter life, simply as Harry is, so I really feel prefer it’s bringing plenty of authenticity to my efficiency, and it is simply enjoyable week-to-week.
Your character has been by way of a lot in childhood, and this episode unpacks some household pressure and the trauma related to Bobby’s dying. Why do you are feeling your character is drawn to being a firefighter and having this be his goal?
Harry has clearly at all times had a really sturdy will about him, and we see that in how he is approaching this case, becoming a member of the 118, or actually simply attempting to be a firefighter basically. What we have seen from the start of me beginning with Harry, once I’m coming to L.A. fleeing from the cops, I do not at all times totally suppose issues by way of, and I really feel like that is one other a kind of conditions the place the house that it got here from is nice: I wished to comply with in Bobby’s footsteps, I wished to honor him on this approach, however within the little issues like once I placed on his turnouts for Halloween, how my mother is like, ‘You are not taking this severely sufficient.’ Or once I do find yourself falling, having this concussion, I am like, ‘I do not know why my mother is doing a lot.’ And my sister needs to be like, ‘For this reason. I want to obviously sit you down, discuss to you want a 3rd grader, and show you how to perceive what is going on on.’
I feel that as a result of Harry is such a go, go, go, action-oriented kind [of] individual, he would not at all times totally take a look at the small particulars. And so for him to have all of those defining moments as a personality, for him to be talked to to grasp the complete scope of no matter he is doing within the second, that is extremely necessary, and I really feel prefer it’s additionally developed him closely as an individual.
The stress between Harry and Athena is so well-drawn this season, and their dialog within the automobile is gratifying to see. What was filming that scene with Angela like, particularly because it will get into the meat of those points between them?
This can be a actually nice scene for Harry particularly, as a result of there’s this callback to when he was a child. He was like, ‘I need you to give up.’ Harry: He wished his mother; he was afraid of the hazard of the job, proper? And now the script is flipped. It is now on Harry, and he is doing this factor, and it supplies him the attitude and understanding that despite the fact that this job is harmful, despite the fact that there are variables that generally you possibly can’t management, there’s better goal, there’s better which means behind this, and there is actual cause behind it. However [for] that cause, you possibly can’t be afraid, you possibly can’t step into this job from a scared mindset as a result of that is what finally ends up getting you in bother.
With the ability to hear his mother say, ‘I needed to discover a strategy to separate my private and my work when it got here time to do my job,’ I feel that was actually necessary for him to grasp; it is a individual that I like a lot, that has executed their job efficiently for thus lengthy, and possibly they do truly make a extremely good level on this.
It was additionally a extremely good scene for Athena as effectively. I feel it was good for her dynamic with Harry as a result of I am positive she carries plenty of concern with him going into this new factor that, sadly, led to the passing of her husband; that is scary. This can be a very new house for her, as a lot as it’s for Harry. So I feel it is cementing this dynamic that, sure, each get together has nerves, however there must be open communication, there must be an area of vulnerability so that everyone can go about this in the appropriate approach.
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One other dynamic you get to discover is with Buck, with the coaching montage — how a lot he steps in as an older brother or mentor — and the way instrumental he finally ends up being in nudging Athena. May you speak about enjoying that?
I feel it comes all the way down to the 118 being a household. We noticed that Buck had his struggles, and Bobby stepped up for him, and now it is time for Buck to try this for Harry as effectively. As a result of Harry additionally has understood that Buck has been in the identical place as him earlier than — being a younger man attempting to determine issues out — it permits for him to be extra susceptible with Buck and have these moments and say, ‘Hey, I want a mentor. I want any person to assist me by way of this course of.’ And in addition simply having the ability to be actual with him and say, like, ‘I do not need to be placing all this on my mother. I do not need to put all this on my sister. I am on the lookout for any person to assist me outdoors of this.’ I want any person who I belief to assist me by way of this journey. And yeah, I feel too, since Buck and Athena had their very own relationship in that he is form of just like the third sibling, he does have an older brother that is searching for him. It may be cool now seeing them transition into companions in all this.
Did you do the stunt fall this episode? How was that shot?
I gotta give somewhat like to my stunt double, Tyson. He positively did his good work on that. I bought a fall in there; my fall was somewhat bit shorter.
I used to be going to say — it was scary to observe.
Yeah, it was scary to do. However I used to be, like, you understand what? That is nice. That is fantastic. I imply, once you turn into an actor, you are like, ‘After all, I need to do the stunts and I need to do all of the enjoyable stuff.’ This present, after all, permits that. I positively went up the ladder, 5 tales, all the way in which — even that was scary. I had by no means been up that top, and the ladder was shaking. Fortunately, I am not afraid of heights. Simply experiencing this all — entering into it, doing the firefighter stuff — has been very new for me, but it surely’s been enjoyable.
I am positive you are within the weeds of taking pictures additional episodes. The ceremony was stunning, the 118 reveal. Are you able to tease, possibly, a few of the private/skilled dynamics which are going to come back in as your character steps into this world? Something you possibly can say about what we would see Harry doing?
Harry is the probie at this level, so he is gonna have probie duties as any probie would. Now, Ravi form of will get the warmth taken off of him somewhat bit. He is coming in to this being new, so he has to ease his approach into getting extra accountability in these moments, however, as we have been speaking about, Harry can be a really strong-willed individual, so he is gonna discover his methods to step up and contribute as a lot as he can. So, yeah, I do not need to give away an excessive amount of, however individuals will certainly be seeing Harry be Harry.
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