9-1-1 star Angela Bassett has responded to rumors about her exiting the series.
She has played the 9-1-1 character Athena Grant in every season of the procedural show so far, including the ongoing season 8. The show focuses on multiple groups of first responders, including police officers, firefighters, and paramedics, with Athena being core to multiple storylines as an LAPD patrol sergeant who is married to LAFD captain Bobby Nash (Peter Krause). The other cast members who have been series regulars in every season are Oliver Stark, Aisha Hinds, and Kenneth Choi.
During an interview with TV Guide, Bassett addressed her future with the character, putting to rest recent rumors that she would be exiting the series. During the conversation, she revealed that she is “still excited” about playing Athena for a variety of reasons, including her connection with the cast and crew as well as the way the stories presented on the series connect with its audience. She described that feeling as “a very special thing.” Read Bassett’s full quote below:
I’m still excited about Athena and playing her because of the family that we have built, the stories that we tell, the way in which we connect with the community, with the public, with our fans. They see themselves in these people, and they see themselves as a part of our family, so I love that. I think that’s just a very special thing, an incredible thing that we’ve been able to accomplish in the television landscape of things.
What This Means For 9-1-1
Athena’s Future Looks Bright
Bassett’s comments seem to imply that Athena’s onscreen future is secure beyond 9-1-1 season 8. These rumors have likely cropped up because the two-time Oscar nominee has been appearing in quite a few projects outside the long-running series, including upcoming appearances in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and the Netflix limited series Zero Day. However, she has clearly been able to balance these projects in the past and may continue to do so in the future.
Bassett plays the President of the United States in both Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and Zero Day .
Ultimately, it seems that the biggest road block to the return of Athena is the longevity of the show. 9-1-1 season 9 has not yet been officially renewed, so its future after its recent move from Fox to ABC is unknown, especially in the wake of the cancellation of the spinoff 9-1-1: Lone Star after five seasons. However, according to co-creator Ryan Murphy, one reason for Lone Star‘s cancellation was the complicated finances involved in being a Disney series on a Fox network, a situation which will no longer trouble the flagship series because Disney owns ABC.
Our Take On Angela Bassett’s 9-1-1 Comments
The Actor Is Committed To Her Role
Bassett’s commitment to playing Athena can already be seen in her consistent appearances across the entire run of 9-1-1. While this has become her longest-running television role by far, the star has already proven her willingness to return for multiple seasons of a Ryan Murphy television program. This is revealed by her 48-episode run on his genre series American Horror Story, which saw her return as various characters in season 4 (Freak Show), season 5 (Hotel), season 6 (Roanoke), and season 8 (Apocalypse) after debuting in season 3 (Coven).
