‘9-1-1’s Brian Thompson Talks Captain Gerrard, His 118 Return, And Season 8: “If This Was My Last Job, I Would Be Very Satisfied As An Actor”

Hours ahead of 9-1-1 ‘s highly-anticipated Season 8 premiere, while fans were buzzing with a familiar mixture of excitement and fear over Bee-nado, the 118’s return, and Captain Gerrard’s terrifying firehouse reign, actor Brian Thompson was living his best, most peaceful life.

“I was on my hands and knees picking Chanterelle mushrooms in my driveway on a dead-end road in the woods in Oregon, a mile from the Pacific ocean,” the 9-1-1 star excitedly told Decider during a Thursday afternoon phone call. “I was excited, because it’s the best Chanterelle hunt that I’ve ever had in my own driveway. I probably got four pounds of mushrooms.”

After Thompson picked his mushrooms and before he gathered in front of a large screen at the lake with 30 loved ones for his 9-1-1 premiere party, the 65-year-old actor took time to chat about his character Vincent Gerrard, his unexpected return to the show, and what Season 8 has in store for fans.

While reminiscing on the start of his 9-1-1 journey, the script reveal that made him elatedly “crap” himself, and more fond memories, Thompson realized his love for the ABC procedural ran deep. “I’ve often said to my friends, the best job in Hollywood is being a supporting actor on a successful series. And that’s exactly what happened with this show… Jeez. I mean it,” Thompson said, getting choked up. “If this was my last job, I would be very satisfied as an actor.”

Read on for Decider’s full interview with Thompson, who we can confirm is much kinder, funnier, and gentler than his deeply disliked 9-1-1 character.

DECIDER: Before we dive into the Season 8 premiere, let’s take it back to 2018, when you first appeared in Season 2’s “Hen Begins” and “Chimney Begins.” What do you remember about your audition?

BRIAN THOMPSON: Getting the job — it was a self tape. I was here in Oregon. And I didn’t have any clothes that really looked fireman-y. And so a buddy of mine is the same exact size, and my girlfriend uses him to buy things for me. If he’s wearing something, she can just call him and say, “Hey, where did you get that?” So I called up Will and I said, “Do you have anything that’s more like a fireman’s jacket than a ski jacket?” He goes, “Yeah, I got a fireman’s turnout coat. My son was in a thrift store a month or so ago and thought it would make a fun Halloween costume, so he bought one for 10 bucks.”

You wouldn’t wear a fireman’s turnout to an audition at a studio in-person. That’s trying too hard. But since I was just shooting it myself, I wore the fireman’s turnout coat. And when they’re pitching actors in Hollywood, they’re going to see a dozen people that can pull off the part — maybe two or three times that. So what separates you? Was it because I looked the most like a fireman with the jacket? [Laughs] You know, we don’t know. Even if you ask the people if that swayed their decision at all, they might not be privy to how it turned their emotions or spun the dials of their cognitive processes.

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We saw you again for another Season 4 flashback episode, and in Season 7, you returned with the promise of this larger storyline. Did you think you’d be revisiting this character so many years after you first got the part?

Yes, because flashing back to characters’ previous lives at the fire station, that’s a worthwhile storyline to jump into. It gives the writers a lot of leeway about some event or trauma or something that happened in the past that they might want the audience to participate in. So I was always hopeful. And since I did get brought back [for a flashback episode] in Season 4, I thought that’s what was going to happen in Season 7. I got to the script and I said to my girlfriend, “I kind of think they’re angling for me to do more! They’re reintroducing this character to the audience in present time. This is the first time I’ve ever been seen alive in a current storyline.” Then when I got to the season closer, I crapped, if I could be so crass. [Laughs]

I’m flipping through the script and there’s nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing. And screamed [to my girlfriend], “I’M THE FIRE CAPTAIN OF THE 118! I’M THE FIRE CAPTAIN. HOLY SHIT. THEY MADE ME THE CAPTAIN.” I literally jumped out of my chair with elation, because I love working on this show. What other show is on right now that’s successful, that breeds as much tolerance and hope — and where the episodes leave you feeling warm and gushy about human beings? What other show is there? I can’t think of another show.

You nailed it. Another thing 9-1-1 does incredibly well is disaster episodes. Were you excited when you found out about Bee-nado? And how challenging was it to film without the uh, two million bees? You deserve Emmys.

Ah! Coincidentally, this is my 40th year with my Screen Actors Guild card, and I turned 65 while on the show. At this point, with the number of science fiction and action adventure I’ve done, working with imaginary CGI is really quite easy. It’s easier to do that than when you rehearse it at home. Like when we did Dragonheart you’re rehearsing at home, memorizing your lines, and there’s a dragon coming — but on the set, you’ve got all these other people with you and a real environment around you. The only thing that’s missing is the dragon.

So that was the same with the bees. The only thing missing was these swirling bees. And we had a drone that for several of the takes marked the eyeline so everybody was looking at the same place in the sky. And you know what? A drone kind of sounds like a swarm of bees.

That’s a great point. Ahead of the premiere tonight, fans got a sneak peek at Gerrard criticizing everyone during a tense lineup inspection. How hard was it not to break during that scene?

Keeping a straight face is easy until the camera’s shooting the other actors’ backs and the camera’s on me and they start laughing. Then it becomes like little kids in church trying not to dispel the decorum. It can become remarkably difficult. And yes, we blew a couple of takes because I found it really funny too.

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One of those season’s biggest shockers — aside from the bees — was Eddie’s mustache, so I was really happy you were able to connect with him on that.

Yes. I did an ad lib that I don’t think made it into the scene. [Laughs] After “Nice stache,” I said “Maybe a little longer on the handles.” I thought it was kind of cute, but I heard it didn’t make the final cut.

It should have! I’m glad everyone will know you said it when they read this article.

[Laughs] Good.

In the past, you’ve acted alongside Aisha Hinds, Kenneth Choi, and Lou Ferrigno Jr. What it was like reuniting with those past scene partners while getting to meet other 9-1-1 stars like Peter Krause, Oliver Stark, and Ryan Guzman.

It genuinely has a sense of reuniting with a family member. Especially since Aisha, and Ryan, and Oliver, and Peter, and Kenny are so established on this show. They know what they’re doing so well. They’re bulwarks of a foundation that you can trust. And then especially with Lou, who, I worked with his father 30 years ago. So to have the circle sort of turning over, it warms your heart.

Like Hen and Chimney before him, we see Buck getting the brunt of Gerrard’s abuse in the premiere, but that doesn’t stop him from trying to save Gerrard’s life at the end of the premiere. What can you tease about Gerrard’s fate? Have we seen the last of him?

Well, Captain Gerrard is a tough old buzzard. I’m not sure he would let a tiny hit to the head full-force on a slab of concrete slow him down. [Laughs]

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Showrunner Tim Minear hinted that you and the other Season 8 villain, Councilwoman Ortiz, are “connected in many ways.” Can you shed any additional light on that?

You’ll have to keep watching…

Welll after Chimney saved Tommy’s life in Season 2, we saw Tommy have this little epiphany, change his behavior for the better, and finally befriend Chim. Do you think Gerrard is capable of that sort of growth after Buck tried to save his life?

As with the other characters, keep hope alive for Captain Gerrard, because there’s room for him to grow higher too.

The fact that Gerrard is such a universally disliked character is truly a testament to your incredible acting. I read an interview with Aisha from 2018, where she said that she was talking with you at lunch and ended up falling in love with you as a person. And she was so glad she had lunch with you, because she was starting to put her guard up since your acting is so convincing.

Aisha said that? Aww. Wow that’s so nice.

Before I let you go, is there anything that you, Brian, would like to say to all the 9-1-1 fans who loathed Gerrard all these years?

I’ve often said to my friends, the best job in Hollywood is being a supporting actor on a successful series. And that’s exactly what happened with this show, because the anxiety level on any show that’s trying to make it, or any feature film, you don’t know if you’re working on a dog. You’re working on a very tight budget. But on a show like 9-1-1 , everybody around you has proven their talent and proven their ability. To get to be in that and to be reunited and in this place, in this family of successful, happy people — there’s nothing more that I want as an actor for my career.

One last thing: I told my girlfriend this. Jeez. I mean it. If this was my last job, I would be very satisfied as an actor, because it’s no holds barred. I’m so wired for this guy. So wired.

New episodes of 9-1-1 Season 8 premiere Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC with next-day streaming on Hulu.

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