’9-1-1: Lone Star’s Jim Parrack Reveals His Emotional Reaction to Grace’s Exit in Season 5
Acting is reacting; for four seasons, Jim Parrack had a great acting partner in 9-1-1: Lone Star. Parrack’s character, Judd Ryder, was married to Sierra McClain‘s Grace. The actors shared a lot of scenes, which stopped abruptly in Season 5. McClain exited the series following failed salary negotiations with the network. Season 5 found Judd dealing with losing his wife and job. Parrack talked to TV Line about 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5, Episode 3, “CL2,” which found Judd returning to be a firefighter. He also spoke about finding out McClain would not be part of the fifth and final season.
Parrack said it was “hard to argue” with McClain’s decision. “I love and respect her so much,” he said. “She’s such a good, high-integrity human being. I said, ‘Look, trust yourself and do whatever you think is best.’ There was no part of me, on a human level or a friend level, that would talk her out of an important decision like that,” the actor concluded, revealing that he wholeheartedly supported her decision.
How Sierra McClain’s Exit Affects ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ Season 5.
Some of 9-1-1: Lone Star‘s best scenes featured Grace as the first point of contact in the emergency chain. Judd and Grace were one of the most beloved couples in the show thanks to the great acting of the actors. Parrack revealed that even though he understood and supported McClain’s decision, he couldn’t help but feel the loss that reverberates throughout the final season. He talked about losing McClain as a scene partner, saying,
“Of course, I was like, ‘Damn, that’s one of the best acting partners I’ve ever had, and now I’m going to be without her,’”
9-1-1: Lone Star‘s showrunner Rashad Raisani previously told TV Fanatic, “Grace’s absence will be played throughout the season because it’s just so fundamental to Judd’s character.” But that presence might not be good for Judd. Parrack teased some resentment that brews up with Grace leaving the family and being unreachable. “If we’re not actively looking to root it out, it doesn’t take much for us to develop [resentment] within ourselves. And it seems like it does the most damage with the people that we love. Stay tuned because Judd might have to face some of that coming up,” the star teased.
Watch how Grace and Judd’s story plays out in all-new episodes of 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 on Fox. Catch up with past seasons on Hulu in the US.
