‘9-1-1: Nashville’: Hunter McVey on Being Part of the ‘9-1-1’ Franchise (Exclusive)

9-1-1: Nashville star Hunter McVey is opening up to PopCulture.com about being part of the 9-1-1 franchise.

McVey portrays Blue Bennings in the 9-1-1 series, which premiered in October on ABC.

The spinoff marks McVey’s first acting role, having previously been a model and influencer. It’s now hard to imagine anyone else portraying Blue, and for McVey, “It’s been one of the greatest things that’s ever happened to me and one of the biggest blessings in my life, being able to be a part of this universe, a part of this franchise, and play someone like Blue.” He continued, “It’s done more than I really can put into words for me as a human being, and getting to work alongside the incredible cast, the incredible crew, production, and everybody every day at work. I truly feel like a kid. I get to do something different. I get to go in and play pretend.”

“But in those moments, there’s no other option than feeling present, which is something I haven’t really found in a lot of other moments in my life,” he said. “So, as hard as it can get with long days or crazy schedules or whatnot, it’s, again, one of the greatest things that’s ever happened to me, and I feel like one of the luckiest people in the world to be a part of it. And I love to see that the 9-1-1 Universe and some of the fans are enjoying what Blue is bringing to the table. I just hope they’re enjoying it half as much as I’m enjoying playing him.”

9-1-1: Nashville is the third series in the 9-1-1 franchise, following the Mothership, now in its ninth season, and 9-1-1: Lone Star, which ended last year after five seasons. While it’s too early to tell if the series will be back for a second season, one can only hope that McVey will continue playing Blue Bennings for a long time, and that the 113 isn’t going anywhere.

Since the start of the series, Blue has been through quite a lot. He found the dad he never knew he had, and a half-brother he also didn’t know about, he started working at the firehouse they both work at, and he nearly died in a car accident after saving schoolchildren from a drunk driver. Blue’s been getting closer to the Harts and finding his footing at the 113, he even just became a probie. So there will be much more to look forward to as the series continues.

The first 10 episodes of 9-1-1: Nashville are streaming now on Hulu. The series returns on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, following 9-1-1.