Oliver Stark commemorated Bisexual Day of Visibility by paying tribute to his 9-1-1 character, Evan “Buck” Buckley.
“Good morning. I just wanted to come on here and make a quick video because it is Bisexual Day of Visibility,” Stark said in a Tuesday, September 23, Instagram Story video. “And one of my biggest joys of playing Buck over the past eight/nine seasons is getting to tell the story of him discovering his bisexuality. And I hope, truly, that we have offered up some kind of positive representation.”
Noting that he’s “super proud of getting to be a part of this storyline,” Stark said, “I know there are a lot of people that think things like, ‘Bisexual men are just too scared to come out as gay,’ or whatever it is, and obviously, that’s not the case. And I really hope that we get to hammer home that point this season.”
Stark concluded his message by sharing his excitement over diving “deeper” into Buck’s bisexual identity in the show’s upcoming season. “It’s just such an honor to get to be a part of telling this story, so thank you guys,” he said.
Stark has portrayed the fan-favorite firefighter since 9-1-1 premiered on Fox in 2018. During the show’s seventh season (its first on ABC), Buck came out as bisexual after catching feelings for Tommy (Lou Ferrigno Jr.), a former member of the 118 and the ex-fiancé of Buck’s ex-girlfriend Abby (Connie Britton).
Disney / Mike Taing
Shortly after Buck’s love life development, Stark took to social media to defend his character from critics. “If you are one of the smaller group of people commenting on my posts about how this has ruined the show. I would like you to know that I truly don’t care,” Stark wrote via his Instagram Story in April 2024. “This is a show about love and inclusion. It’s featured queer relationships from the very beginning including a beautiful Black lesbian marriage played out by two of the best actresses I’ve ever watched.”
He added, “If one character finding a new facet to his sexuality and realising his bisexuality is your deal breaker – I feel you’ve missed the entire point of the show. You are not required to announce your departure.”
Despite one post-split hookup, Buck and Tommy ultimately called it quits in Season 8. Stark previously opened up to Swooon about what he thinks the newly single Buck should look for in a Season 9 love interest.
“I want Buck to make his romantic decisions from a much more well-considered place, not because he’s feeling upset about something else or whatever it is,” Stark shared in May. “I want him to be in control of the decisions he makes more than anything.”
Aisha Hinds, a.k.a. Henrietta “Hen” Wilson, agreed with Stark, telling Swooon that same month, “I would actually love to see Buck grounded in a relationship and experiencing it in the fullest way, someone who would probably extract that best side of him like an Abby, but with the freedom that he now has to be the fullest version of himself with a Tommy.”
9-1-1, Season 9 Premiere, Thursday, October 9, 8/7c, ABC