9-1-1 star Oliver Stark has shared how the Fox show’s portrayal of masculinity was one of the reasons he was drawn to the series, laying bare his vulnerable side and revealing why it is okay for men to cry.

by Rebecca Lewis for Hello Mag US

The 31-year-old British actor has candidly expressed men should be able to freely share how they are feeling, admitting this was something he wanted to be able to show the world on-screen: “I wanted to show you can be caring and it’s okay to be upset and cry and feel things.”

Oliver stars as Evan ‘Buck’ Buckley, a firefighter who we’ve seen grown from a playboy, fired for stealing a firetruck to have sex, to going on a quest for love, discovering his found family and growing up. In the very first episode Buck could be considered the poster boy for a machismo that may be found in fire departments. Yet by the end of that same episode, he has been brought down a peg or two by the men in his team.

“Over the years, one of my favorite parts is that I don’t think there has been a single male character that hasn’t broken down and cried, and put themselves out there for the people they love and the people who are strangers,” he tells HELLO! “They’ve sat down and had deep heart to hearts over the years, and I think it is really important to keep pushing the message that it is okay to be sensitive, and okay to be vulnerable, and in actual fact, it’s more than okay, those things are strengths.”

Wearing his heart on his sleeve and drawing on his own personal experiences, Oliver admitted he previously struggled with his own emotions: “As a young man I didn’t necessarily understand, and it wasn’t because of my father – who is a very emotionally available man – but so much of the media pushes you in one direction and I am keen to push the needle back in the opposite direction.

“I think so many of the problems we find ourselves in as a community are about people not knowing how to express themselves or being afraid of their own vulnerabilities, which I understand, it is passed down through generations. For me, it is important to teach children, however we can, whether through media or education, to be okay with expressing themselves and being sensitive. I think it’s one of the most healthy things we can do for the sake of the world.”

Read the full article here!

I have updated the gallery with HD screen captures from the fifth season of 9-1-1 – Episodes 5.18 “Starting Over”. Check out the gallery for the captures of Oliver via the links below!

Plot Summary

The 118 rescue a wellness guru stuck on a cliff after his followers turn on him due to him putting drugs in their drinks. Bobby’s mental state rapidly declines after Jonah is revealed to be using the 118 to be a fake hero, however a visit from Eddie stops him from relapsing back into alcohol. Chimney and Maddie get lunch together and Chimney assumes she is asking permission to date other people. Maddie corrects him, clarifying she was contemplating returning to work as a dispatcher. Meanwhile the 118 attend to a hairdresser who passed out while redoing the hair implants of a lady who complained about pain. It is revealed she was infested with maggots in the back of her head as the hairdresser was using the hair of the deceased. Clive and Toni reveal they are getting married, however when Toni asks for the ceremony to be hosted in their backyard, Karen storms out. After Hen talks to her, she remembers Toni did not attend their wedding. Buck and Taylor eventually break up after Taylor runs the story about Jonah and Buck feels betrayed. Eddie inquires about Bobby and May reveals the smashed cup incident. Eddie drives to Bobby’s house and explains how much he means to him. Bobby throws away the alcohol he was planning to indulge in. After Karen and Toni talk, Karen gives Toni the green light to host the wedding in their backyard. However, Toni converts her wedding into a surprise vow renewal for Hen and Karen. At the vow renewal, Bobby surprises Athena with cruise tickets for the honeymoon they never had. The episode ends with Eddie coming back to the 118 and the whole team back together again.

Another day in the life of the 118, as its members race to rescue a cliffside wellness retreat guru after his followers turn on him. Then, they respond to an emergency call at an upscale hair salon. Meanwhile, Maddie contemplates returning to work, Eddie and May make decisions on their future, as do Buck and Taylor, and the 118 gathers for a surprise wedding.

Hero Complex is the seventeenth episode of the fifth season of 9-1-1, and the seventy-seventh episode overall. It will air on May 9, 2022.

I have updated the gallery with an episode still of Oliver from “Hero Complex” which you can check out over at oliver-stark.org/gallery where you will also find stills of Oliver from previous episodes of 9-1-1!

I have updated the gallery with HD screen captures from the fifth season of 9-1-1 – Episodes 5.16 “May Day”. Check out the gallery for the captures of Oliver via the links below!

Plot Summary

May finally reaches her breaking point with Claudette and yells at her in front of all the other dispatchers, leading Sue to put them both in the “quiet room” until they work things out. Albert tells Chimney that he no longer wants to be a firefighter. The call center is set on fire, and May and Claudette are left behind in the panic as everyone evacuates. Eddie temporarily rejoins the team to help fight the fire, as Chimney and Albert team up as firefighters for the first time. When Bobby learns May is still inside, he rushes in to save her. Claudette mysteriously starts losing hope and condemning herself and May to their fate, but it is revealed she is afraid of fire after May finds burn scars on her shoulder. Buck and Eddie manage to save an electrician, and Bobby finds May and Claudette just in time. However, just after Claudette is taken out of the building, Albert, who is on the roof with Chimney, falls through, causing the ceiling to collapse on May and Bobby. Miraculously, both survive, and after they are taken outside, Claudette finally accepts May as a teammate. Eddie realizes being a firefighter is his call. Chimney finally accepts Albert’s decision to quit. The episode ends with a shocking twist when Claudette suddenly dies upon arriving at the hospital, causing Hen to become suspicious of Jonah, who was administering first aid in the ambulance.