The cast of 9-1-1 are just as devastated about that major character’s death as fans are.
The second half of the ABC series’ two-part 9-1-1: Contagion event on Thursday, April 17, ended with the shocking death of the 118’s leader, Captain Bobby Nash (Peter Krause). While trapped in a lab with a dangerous virus, Bobby hides the fact that he got infected in order to give Chimney (Kenneth Choi) the only antidote. He managed to share emotional goodbyes with his wife, Athena (Angela Bassett) and colleague Buck (Oliver Stark), but he ultimately succumbed to the disease.
Showrunner Tim Minear confirmed the character’s death is a permanent one but revealed in a Thursday interview with Variety that the episode “is not Peter Krause’s final appearance this season.” Krause, for his part, said goodbye to Bobby with a heartfelt letter to fans published by Deadline on Thursday.
“In October 2017, through him, we began tackling topics such as grief, guilt, anger and addiction while exploring his relationship with a higher power, forgiveness and grace,” he said. “On his path of healing, we watched him join and embrace both his new family at the firehouse and his new family with Athena Grant where he found love and acceptance. We also had plenty of fun along the way. It was a joy.”
Fans shared their strong reactions to the storyline via social media, with one X user writing, “The 118 will never be the same 💔.” Another fan called Bobby and Athena “one of the best tv couples,” adding, “They have the best chemistry, best love story— they’re literally everyone’s “weekly mom and dad”; how can you just ruin something so beautiful?”
One user questioned how Bobby’s death will affect the show’s upcoming ninth season. “I know #911onABC got renewed for another season but they can keep that … what’s 911 without Bobby Nash??” the wrote via X.
Scroll down to see what the cast of 9-1-1 have said about Bobby’s untimely death:
Peter Krause
While Krause understands the fan upset, he noted in his Deadline letter that the “bold creative choice” represents how “first responders risk their lives on the job so that others can see another day.” He added, “[Bobby’s] arc honors them. We at 9-1-1 salute all the incredible men and women who do these dangerous jobs and strive to keep us safe.”
Krause went on to thank the show’s cast and crew. “I will miss all my 9-1-1 family. Our incredible crew whose professional excellence is second to none,” he wrote. “All the writers who keep pulling rabbits out of hats. All the directors tasked with the same. All the incredible guest cast over the years as well as Jennifer Love Hewitt and the cast in the call center.”
He continued, “I will miss my partner, Angela Bassett. Her strength and her sweetness, and us holding hands. We parted ways too soon. Much love. Tim Minear and Brad Buecker, you’ve been my pillars and are two of the best in the business. I will miss you both. Finally, I will miss my beloved and unruly children of the 118. Aisha Hinds, Kenneth Choi, Oliver Stark, Ryan Guzman and Anirudh Pisharody: this is a tough goodbye. Stay unruly, but be professional and get the job done. Misfit heroes need each other. That’s how we do it at our firehouse. Pass it along to the next new guy.”
The first responders of 9-1-1 spend their days rescuing Los Angeles trapped in life-threatening situations, but they still find some time for a little bit of romance. One of the show’s longest-running relationships is between police officer Athena (Angela Bassett) and firefighter Bobby (Peter Krause), who started dating at the end of season 1 and […]
Krause concluded his statement by writing, “This has been one wild adventure. I thank you all, with all my heart.”
The actor continued to open up about Bobby’s death on Friday, April 18, appearance on Good Morning America. “He was willing to sacrifice himself so that others could see another day. And I will miss everybody dearly,” he shared. “This was my workplace, for eight years, eight seasons. And I am really going to miss everybody: Angela and the fire team and the crew.”
He also gushed about his on-screen marriage with Bassett, stating, “I won’t have a relationship like that again on TV. It’s been a fantastic eight years. I’m going to miss her a lot.”
Angela Bassett
In an interview with Deadline published on Thursday, Bassett revealed she didn’t know about Bobby’s death until she got the episode’s script. “I remember Tim called. He said, ‘Someone’s going to pass away,’” she shared. “I said, ‘Is it me?’ Self-preservation, you know. I went through the list, you start with yourself, but I was very surprised that it was my husband.”
She recalled the moment she learned it was Bobby who’d be killed off, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “I think finally, after about three or four names, I was like, ‘What?!’ — because it was inconceivable to me that it was Bobby.”
Bassett noted, “It was incredulous to me that it was Bobby, so it was just very surprising. Sometimes, you’re just struck dumb — and that’s one of those moments because their bond has been so wonderful and so strong these past four or five years. I didn’t see that coming. None of us saw that coming.”
Despite being in shock, Bassett told Deadline she “enjoyed” filming Athena and Bobby’s last scene together, as the physical separation between the two characters made the moment even more emotional. “You’re separated by the glass, by the partition, by everything that separates people, your metaphor for whatever separates people, the virus, all of it,” she said. “And seeing them, seeing their eyes, the memory of who they are, who they are to you, it was just there, every moment, every take for the two of us — the history, the bond.”
Oliver Stark
“My Dear Friend Peter, we miss you at work with us everyday,” Stark wrote alongside behind-the-scenes pics of himself and Krause via Instagram. “You were, and still will be, our leader always.”
Jennifer Love Hewitt
“I have no words,” Hewitt, who plays 9-1-1 dispatcher Maddie, wrote via her Instagram Story after Thursday’s episode. “I couldn’t say goodbye because you are the best. I love you Peter. Thanks for always being a light and for your hugs that could change a day for the better everytime.”
Along with sharing a broken heart emoji, she added, “Love you Pete.”
Aisha Hinds
While Hinds’ character, Henrietta Wilson, made it out of the lab alive, the actress wrote she was “shattered” by Bobby’s death via her Instagram Story on Thursday. “Love you Pete,” she wrote in another post, as well as shared a cast pic of the main 118 crew.
Hinds expanded on the character death — and the departure of Krause — via social media on Saturday, April 19. She described Krause as “a stunning actor” and working with him was a “special honor.”
“This has been a cornerstone moment in my career that will live forever. I am grateful to Pete for his leadership. Grateful for the times he took care of my heart in the quiet moments,” she continued. “Grateful for the ways he ignited a laughter that got us through long days and nights. I thank him for setting a tone of warmth for every person that came through our little universe. Grateful for his model of integrity and character …. to the very end.”
When it comes to the show, Hinda explained the “axis” of the series “shifted with the loss of Bobby Nash, the centerpiece of the 118.”
Hinds confessed, “Admittedly, my heart raced with fear while reading the script, then it broke with sadness as we shot each scene, and lastly as an actor and audience member I watched with awe, grief, gratitude, and reverence as Pete honorably emptied himself and filled our homes with the indelible impact of Bobby Nash. I celebrate his commitment and contribution to this character and to our show. Love him, always.”
Kenneth Choi
Choi paid tribute to Krause via Instagram after Bobby sacrificed himself in order to save Chimney. “Peter Krause, you are the classiest guy, the most talented of actors, and the loveliest human being,” he wrote alongside pics of the two. “THANK YOU, PK. Love You Pal ❤️.”
Choi confessed to Entertainment Weekly on Friday, April 18, that he was “sobbing” during filming. “I was still sobbing uncontrollably [during the shoot] with my friend for like three or four minutes to the point where I started to laugh at myself, because it was uncontrollable sobbing,” he recalled. “I was laughing at myself saying, ‘I don’t know what is happening! I know this isn’t real! Why am I acting like this?’ But it was devastating to me.”
The actor recalled learning about the death from the showrunner and not fully processing it. “I just kind of went into those stages of grief. Denial, mostly: ‘This doesn’t make any sense. Why would you do that? You’re kind of killing off our father figure,’” Choi said.
He added: “And he explained creatively why he thought it was the right choice, and I fought him on it. And I continued to fight him on it. I fought him on it up until we kind of did the funeral stuff, because I was thinking, ‘Maybe they’ll pull it back. Maybe they’ll change their minds. Maybe they’ll reverse course. But … yeah.”
Ryan Guzman
Though Guzman’s Eddie Diaz was not featured in Thursday’s episode, he commemorated Bobby’s major death by reposting several of his castmates’ tributes via his Instagram Story.
Anirudh Pisharody
Another survivor of the lab incident, Pisharody — who plays firefighter Ravi Panikkar — called Krause “the greatest mentor, and even greater friend,” in a sweet Instagram tribute. “Bobby Nash, our Cap. Forever. 💔,” he captioned pics of the two of them on the show over the years.
Tracie Thoms
Though Thoms’ character Karen Wilson is not a first responder, she and Krause formed a sweet behind-the-scenes bond. “Cap 💔. We love you, Peter. And we’re still not ok. #peterkrause @911onabc,” she captioned Instagram pics of herself and Krause on set.
Gavin Stenhouse
Stenhouse’s recurring character Father Brian has acted as an advisor and confidant for over the course of the series. “Ooof… I have no words. What an episode @911onabc 💔😭,” the actor captioned a screenshot of one of his and Krause’s 9-1-1 scenes via Instagram.
