Who Is Hunter McVey? Meet the ‘9-1-1: Nashville’ Newbie & Instagram Star Playing LeAnn Rimes’ Son
The cast of 9-1-1: Nashville features many familiar faces, as well as some new ones.
Hunter McVey is set to make his acting debut on the upcoming ABC procedural. Set against the backdrop of the show’s titular Tennessee city, 9-1-1: Nashville will follow the ups and downs of the 113 firehouse crew and their loved ones. The show also marks the second spinoff in the 9-1-1 TV universe, following 9-1-1: Lone Star, which concluded its five-season run on Fox earlier this year.
“[9-1-1: Nashville] is a high-octane procedural about heroic first responders, as well as their family saga of power and glamour set in one of America’s most diverse and dynamic cities,” ABC’s official description reads.
Along with McVey, the cast also includes Chris O’Donnell, Jessica Capshaw, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, LeAnn Rimes, Hailey Kilgore, Michael Provost, and Juani Feliz.
Scroll down for everything we know about McVey ahead of 9-1-1: Nashville‘s series premiere.
Who does Hunter McVey play on 9-1-1: Nashville?
McVey will play Blue Bennings, whom showrunner Rashad Raisani previously described to TV Insider as “a stripper by trade that comes into the firehouse and upends everything.”
Blue is also the son of Rimes’ Dixie Bennings, whom Raisani describes as a “rival character” to Capshaw’s Blythe Hart, who is the wife of 113 captain Don Hart (O’Donnell). Dixie is a former backup singer “who always felt like she deserved more than she got,” Raisani shared. “As our series starts, she’s going to try and take what’s hers.”
O’Donnell teased to TV Insider that his and Rimes’ characters share some history. “Dixie comes from the same place [as Don],” he revealed. “They got to know each other when they were a lot younger.”
When McVey’s casting was announced back in June, Variety also described his character as “a haunted bad boy who is now a firefighter.”
Disney/Jake Giles Netter
Was Hunter McVey famous before being cast on 9-1-1: Nashville?
While the series will mark McVey’s first professional acting gig, he is well-known for being a model and social media fitness influencer with over 562K followers on Instagram, over 195.5K followers on TikTok, and over 4.85K subscribers on YouTube.
In addition to keeping up his fitness uploads, McVey has also given fans a behind-the-scenes look at 9-1-1: Nashville filming in several social media videos. “FULL DAY OF ACTING. Blessed to wake up early and film @911nashville with some of the best people I’ve ever met,” he captioned an August 27 Instagram video of his day on set. “I’m taking you through a normal day, shooting 2 separate scenes, and a surprise visit from my sweet Julia :).”
McVey is also the host of the Wholesome Degenerate podcast, on which he talks about “personal development, dumb decisions, wild stories, and everything in between,” per the show’s description. His ABC bio also lists him as an “established entrepreneur.”
Where is Hunter McVey from?
Per his ABC bio, McVey was born in Franklin, Tennessee, and later attended Virginia Tech University.
Is Hunter McVey in a relationship?
McVey is currently in a relationship with Julia Bridges. In June, he posted an Instagram video of himself popping the question to his partner, writing, “Forever with you ❤️.”
Several of his 9-1-1: Nashville costars congratulated the couple in the post’s comments. “Awwww congrats!!!! ❤️,” wrote Rimes, while Williams-Paisley added, “YAY!!!! You did it! Congratulations!!🎊 ❤️.”
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9-1-1: Nashville, Series Premiere, Thursday, October 16, 9/8c, ABC
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