Oliver Stark and Ryan Guzman are very aware that 9-1-1 fans are hoping to see their characters, Buck and Eddie, get together — and they’ve opened up about whether there’s potential for a romance on multiple occasions.
“I’m open to it. You know, there’s obviously stuff there and there’s a chemistry between us,” Stark, who plays Evan “Buck” Buckley on the ABC drama, said during an April 2024 episode of the Zach Sang Show. “Yeah, if it goes there then I think it would be [something I would do].”
After more than six seasons, Buck finally realized his bisexuality after having his first same-sex kiss with Tommy (Lou Ferrigno Jr.) during the show’s 100th episode. While many fans were excited to see Buck take the next step in his personal journey, they’ve also been hoping that his happily ever after will involve longtime BFF Eddie Diaz (Guzman).
While Eddie has yet to explore his own sexuality as of season 7, Guzman told Collider in April 2024 that he’s “open to all possibilities” on a show where a character’s “truth” can change at a “moment’s notice.”
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Both he and Stark, however, are well aware of the fandom’s love for Buck and Eddie — and it’s all up to where showrunner Tim Minear wants to go.
“They have plenty of ideas, but we’re not the writers,” Guzman said during a March 2024 interview with On the Red Carpet, adding that Minear & Co. have “taken note” of the love for the duo. “And we trust exactly what the writers have in store for us, and I think in season 7, we’ve got a lot in store. To give them more of what they’ve known and a lot of what they don’t.”
Keep scrolling for everything Stark and Guzman have said about a potential romance between their characters:
Happy People Care
During their On the Red Carpet interview, Stark said that he and Guzman are just happy people “care” about the Buck and Eddie relationship, regardless of how they perceive it.
“Some people see it platonically and some people see it romantically and I’m just happy people are seeing it [and] having these feelings about it,” he said. “I think what’s worse would be if nobody cared. But in actual reality people have these really strong opinions and feel very invested, and we’re here for it.”
It’s Up to the Writers
During the same interview, Guzman said he and Stark have laid their trust in Minear and the other writers of the show.
“They have plenty of ideas, but we’re not the writers,” he explained, noting that the writing staff has “taken note” of the love for Buck and Eddie. “And we trust exactly what the writers have in store for us and I think in season 7, we’ve got a lot in store,” Guzman continued. “To give them more of what they’ve known and a lot of what they don’t.”
Closer Than Ever
Ahead of the season 7 premiere in March 2024, Guzman shared with Entertainment Weekly that Buck and Eddie’s bond will only deepen as the episodes progress.
“We’re closer than ever this season. I can only tease that. There’s a lot of changes in the relationship and in how we interact and all those things,” he said, adding, “We’re trying to give the audience what they want.”
Jealousy, Jealousy
Prior to 9-1-1’s 100th episode in April 2024, which featured Buck coming to terms with his bisexuality, Stark exclusively spoke to Us Weekly about how his character’s confusion in season 7 will be evident through his dynamic with Eddie.
“I think it’s almost a feeling of searching or uneasiness, not necessarily with Eddie, but within himself,”Stark explained. “And it’s easier sometimes to put that onto somebody else than have to do the self-reflection and self-interrogation of, ‘Hey, what am I actually feeling here?’”
Stark noted that the way Buck’s “searching” ultimately manifests through his long-standing friendship with Eddie, but there’s much more under the surface.
“I think once you watch the episode, you actually realize it’s not necessarily that. He just doesn’t quite understand what he’s feeling,” he said. “And this jealousy [with Eddie] is the way that it manifests itself, but it’s not necessarily the root cause of his unease.”
Keeping What Makes Them Special
Guzman, for his part, exclusively told Us that he’s “here for” whatever the show does with the two characters, as long as they keep what makes the dynamic so special intact.
“Whatever happens between the characters happens, but I think the sanctity of that vulnerability is what needs to be kept, and the connection,” the actor explained. “Whatever happens with Buck finding if he wants to explore this route [with his sexuality] even further or not, that connection maintains itself.”
Chemistry!
During an April 2024 episode of The Zach Sang Show, Stark confirmed that he was “open” to a Buck and Eddie romance in the future, noting that he and Guzman “obviously” have a “chemistry” between them. “Yeah, if it goes there then I think it would be [something I would do],” he said.
The actor noted, however, that it would be important to handle the situation delicately. “It works two ways, right? I definitely see that as a potential story. I don’t know what’s going to happen with Eddie’s character,” Stark explained. “But then I also think you have to tread carefully because I don’t want to tell this story where [a] guy comes out and now all his male friends are like ‘Aw, so what you got a crush on me?’ Like, I want to be careful of telling that story.”
Eddie’s Journey
“Me and Oliver are very aware of the fandom and what they like to see from our characters and where they want us to go,” Guzman said during an April 2024 interview with Parade, adding that Buck’s coming out journey is a “taste, a sense of that.”
Guzman also opened up about Eddie potentially exploring his own sexuality, telling the outlet, “I think it’s pretty clear that he’s tried to fill in this motherly, this wife-type role — that’s all he knows. And he’s a man [that] first off, he’s Catholic. Second off, he’s from the military. So those are very straight-edge kind of lifestyles that don’t offer too much exploring. But through the 118, he’s had this epiphany each year, like, ‘Well, maybe I don’t know as much as I thought I did. And maybe I should be exploring a little bit more and maybe I should understand myself a little bit more and even seek a therapist.’”
Guzman said the revelation is “something new for Eddie,” and “reflective of the inclusivity that Ryan Murphy’s show likes to have and Tim Minear likes to write.”
Undertones From the Beginning
When asked if he perceived Buck and Eddie’s first meeting — where Buck sees a shirtless Eddie while “What Man” plays in the background — as having more than just platonic undertones, Stark replied, “I think that’s probably quite a wise way to look at it.”
“Eddie and Ryan [Guzman], who plays him, is obviously an attractive man so I can see that,” he said during an April 2024 episode of the “I’ve Never Said This Before” podcast. “I think if we look back at that moment, yes, there’s definitely an element [of sexual undertone],” Stark quipped. “And then, not knowing how to deal and process those feelings, he clearly sectioned it off into some kind of jealousy and insecurity about himself.”
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Seeing Where It Goes
“It’s always kind of been a, ‘We’ll see where it goes, we’ll see where it takes us,’” Guzman told Collider in April 2024, noting that it’s important the show stay “true to the characters.” He pointed out that a character’s “truth” on 9-1-1 can change at a “moment’s notice.”
“So we allow ourselves to stay open to all possibilities. At this moment, Eddie’s got so much going on in his life as far as his relationship with himself, and [his girlfriend] Marisol, and God, that he’s got his plate full,” he said. “And to take on anything else at this moment, I don’t know, he might crack again! So, who knows what happens with him, and we’re here for Buck and his relationship. And, again, I think that [the] strengthening of that [Buck and Eddie] bond is crucial.”
