'9-1-1: Lone Star's Ronen Rubinstein Shares Message With Fans Ahead of Final Season: 'I Just Can't Express Enough Gratitude' (Exclusive)
Rubinstein says it's been a "massive honor" portraying T.K. Strand the last five years.
The final season of 9-1-1: Lone Star premieres on Monday, and Ronen Rubinstein has a message to share with the fans. The actor has portrayed Tyler Kennedy (T.K.) Strand on the Fox first responder drama since the beginning, so when news hit that the show would be ending after its upcoming fifth season, it hit hard. Rubinstein spoke to PopCulture.com all about the final episodes, and had a special message to share with the fans, both old and new, ahead of the premiere.
"To the OG fans, I thank you and shared my love with you guys a million times, and I plan on doing it a million more times," Rubinstein said. "Everything that we're talking about right now would not be possible if T.K. and Carlos didn't connect with you guys. And by some miracle, we did on such a level that no one could have seen coming, especially the creators of the show. You kind of hope for the best, but I think this has even surpassed what they thought as the best case scenario. Tarlos will forever live on as one of the most iconic LGBTQ couples on network television, maybe any television."
"And to be a part of that is just, I wish I knew bigger words than a massive honor, but that's kind of what it's been, and it's been such a joy and such a blessing to be able to be everybody's T.K.," he continued. "Then there's so many new fans jumping on, which is so cool because I feel like one of the few bright spots of the show being off air for a little while is getting people introduced to the show and having time to rewatch everything and catch up to the rest of the group. I'm meeting so many new people, whether it's at conventions or online, and I just wanna say welcome. Welcome to the family and thank you guys for your support. Your support is just as important as people that have been here since day one."
Whether fans have been around since 9-1-1: Lone Star premiered in 2020 or got caught up during the show's brutally long hiatus, it's clear that Ronen Rubinstein appreciates all the love, especially now "we have this super team tuning in on Mondays," he said. "And I just love the fans so much, and they've changed my life personally. I think they've changed the lives of so many of us on Lone Star, and I just can't express enough gratitude. And all of this is because of you guys, and please don't ever forget that."
The fifth and final season of 9-1-1: Lone Star premieres on Monday, Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox's 2024 fall schedule.