‘It Was Devastating’: 9-1-1 Actor Fought Against Co-Star Getting Killed Off (Even After Filming the Death Scene)
9-1-1 did the unthinkable ahead of the Season 8 finale. One of the show’s most popular characters was killed off in what could be the biggest shocker of the series up to this point, and Kenneth Choi seemingly took the development harder than anyone.
In 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 15 (titled “Lab Rats”), Peter Krause’s Captain Bobby Nash tragically perished after serving as the team’s leader for the past eight seasons. Choi, known for playing Chimney on the show, opened up about the shocking death in an interview with Entertainment Weekly after the episode aired. He recalled how he was crying uncontrollably on the set, admitting that he wasn’t quite sure why the death of the fictional character felt so “devastating.” Initially, Choi was in denial that Krause was exiting the show, and as the actor shared, he continued to fight against showrunner Tim Minear with the decision, still hoping that the story could be changed — even well after the death scene had been filmed.
“It was uncontrollable sobbing,” Choi explained. “I was laughing at myself saying, ‘I don’t know what is happening! I know this isn’t real! Why am I acting like this?’ But it was devastating to me.”
It was uncontrollable sobbing.
He added, “Then I just kind of went into those stages of grief. Denial, mostly: This doesn’t make any sense. Why would you do that? You’re kind of killing off our father figure … And he explained creatively why he thought it was the right choice, and I fought him on it. And I continued to fight him on it. I fought him on it up until we kind of did the funeral stuff, because I was thinking: Maybe they’ll pull it back. Maybe they’ll change their minds. Maybe they’ll reverse course.”
As fans saw, the decision was final, and Bobby didn’t survive the latest episode. The aftermath of the tragic death was teased in a recent trailer for the end of the season, which will feature the characters attending a memorial service for Bobby. Choi said that while he personally struggled greatly with saying goodbye to the character, Krause took the news in stride, understanding that it made sense from a narrative standpoint. Taking out Bobby will undoubtedly make things interesting heading into Season 9, considering the series will never be the same again.
The 118 Is Now Fractured After Bobby’s Death
“[The death] also followed his storyline: He’s captain of a very close-knit firefighter family,” Choi said. “He’s the father figure, and the job of each firefighter is to save lives and sacrifice — and he gave the ultimate sacrifice.”
The next episode of 9-1-1 will air on May 1 on ABC.
