9-1-1 star Oliver Stark has reflected on bringing Evan ‘Buck’ Buckley’s bisexuality storyline to life.
On 23 September, the beloved talent took to his Instagram story to ring in Bi Visibility Day with a heartwarming video.
“Good Morning, I just want to come on here and make a quick video because it is [Bi Visibility] Day, and one of my biggest joys of playing Buck over the past eight and nine seasons is getting to tell the story of him discovering his bisexuality,“ Stark exclaimed while walking on a treadmill shirtless.
“I hope truly that we offered up some kind of positive representation. I’m really super proud of getting to be a part of this storyline, and I know that there are a lot of people who think bisexual men are just too scared to come out as gay and whatever it is, and that’s obviously not the case.”
Towards the end of his statement, Stark expressed his hopes of “hammering that point home“ in the upcoming ninth season of 9-1-1, adding that he was excited to delve deeper into it.
“It’s just such an honour to get to be a part of telling this story. So, thank you guys,“ he concluded.
Of course, it didn’t take long for fans to embrace the 34-year-old’s sweet video on social media.
“If nobody got us, I know Oliver Stark got us,“ one person wrote on X/Twitter.
Another fan echoed similar sentiments, writing: “Oh God, I love him so much. Thanks for just being our Buck.”
A third Buck enthusiast cheekily added: “Still obsessed that he did this shirtless.“
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Stark’s Bi Visibility Day video arrives over a year after his beloved character came out as bisexual.
Taking place in 9-1-1’s seventh season, Buck’s queer awakening kicked off after he shared a passionate kiss with former firefighter and LAFD Air Operations pilot Tommy (Lou Ferrigno Jr.).
Following the monumental episode, Buck has continued to explore his sexuality, coming out to his family and best friend Edmundo ‘Eddie‘ Diaz (Ryan Guzman), and getting into a full-fledged relationship with Tommy.
Naturally, fans have warmly embraced Buck’s coming-out storyline, with many celebrating his journey on social media.
Stark has also expressed his support for his character’s LGBTQIA+ inclusive storyline on numerous occasions.
In a 2024 sit-down with GAY TIMES, the British actor revealed that he had planned to explore Buck’s sexuality in season seven, regardless of whether the writers made it canon.
“Yeah. It was brought to me a couple of years ago as a possibility, and I had said yes, and then it was shut down from somewhere else above. So, I had known that this was a possible storyline that we might, one day, be able to lean back into,“ he explained.
“Honestly, at the beginning of this season… I see what everybody else sees. Like, I watch the same show. I don’t think that the Buddie fans are wrong.
“So, I decided this year that I wanted to possibly lean into some kind of sexual awakening for Buck, anyway. When the storyline was brought to me by Tim Minear, who writes the show, it was like, ‘Great! I was gonna do that anyway. Good to know we’re all on the same page.’“
Stark also gushed about the fan reception to Buck’s bisexuality, describing it as “overwhelming.”
“I’m so happy that the response has been as positive as it has, and obviously, there are a few people who want to speak against it, as you get with any storyline anyway, but it’s almost been overwhelming. It’s been a lot to take in, but for the majority, it’s been really lovely and positive, and I’ve been really proud of it,“ he said.
To read Stark’s full interview, click here.
9-1-1 season nine is set to premiere on 9 October on ABC.
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