‘9-1-1: Nashville’ Boss Introduces Ryan Phillippe’s Character & Teases Sparks With Blythe
Preview
What To Know
- Ryan Phillippe joins 9-1-1: Nashville Season 2 as a New York detective who will lead a major investigation.
- Showrunner Rashad Raisani teases what to expect from his dynamics with the rest of the characters.
When 9-1-1: Nashville returns for its second season, it will do so with a new series regular, Ryan Phillippe playing a New York detective who moves to Nashville. When TV Insider spoke with showrunner Rashad Raisani about the Season 1 finale, we of course had to get intel on this new character.
So far, we know Phillippe’s detective is “a seductive bad boy with a past” who’s just going to add to the drama in these first responders’ lives. He’s also going to be leading an investigation into “a mysterious criminal tormenting Nashville on a biblical scale.” Right now, Raisani said, they’re likely going to have his character not have a history with any of the main characters, or at least not a major one.
“There may be a moment where he realizes that he and Blythe [Jessica Capshaw] might have crossed paths at one point, but he has no deep history. He’ll be playing this sort of maverick detective who comes in and he’s kind of a disruptor in a different way, and he’ll get in Don’s [Chris O’Donnell] craw, but he’ll also have a real affinity and friendship with Ryan [Michael Provost], Don’s son. And it will start almost this weird father-son triangle with somebody else,” he shared.
It’s possible that his and Capshaw’s characters “maybe went on a date or two back when she was back east in college,” Raisani continued. “We’re still playing these first couple episodes [of Season 2] to see if it’s better if he is just a completely fresh face or if it helps us to have a little backstory. So I would say we may end up just playing it that he is a fresh [face]. There will be some sparks though, I will tell you that much. It just depends if it’s a first impression or if it’s maybe a rekindling.” And this will be coming as Blythe and Don are going to be on shaky ground after the Season 1 finale saw her find out he was willing to sleep with Dixie (LeAnn Rimes) as part of his ex’s terms to not release another diss track about his wife.
The addition of Phillippe’s character will allow Nashville to do what 9-1-1 and Lone Star have by bringing in a series regular on the police side. It will also include a major arc involving the aforementioned criminal in the city who “leads to some great calamities,” with his character “the tip of the spear dealing with that crisis,” according to the showrunner.
“Ryan Murphy had this great inspiration about this criminal who’s creating 9-1-1 calamities for our firefighters and our first responders assault, but there’s a criminal element underneath it,” he explained. “And so then the police can get involved and our teams can work together with Ryan Phillippe’s character to get to the bottom of this.”
He says the attacks of this criminal, who is the other major new character being introduced in Season 2 in addition to Phillippe’s and someone coming in as Cammie’s (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) boss in dispatch, are “incredibly biblical in scope and I think a very almost True Detective-y kind of feel for us, which we’re just really excited to see that to go into a bit more of a spookier, creepier place, but still having the big scope that we’re used to and our character dynamics that we’ve really grown into.”
What are you hoping to see from Ryan Phillippe’s character? Let us know in the comments section below.
9-1-1: Nashville, Season 2, TBA, ABC
Conversation11 Comments
Please read the TV Insider Community Guidelines.
Register or sign in to join the conversation.
-
J
So so so excited that Ryan is coming to 911 Nashville. He is one of my very favorite actors. Plus he is easy in the eyes!
2
-
R
And once again, my hope for Luke James to join the 911 universe family as one of the newest series regulars who could play Taylor's 3rd-eldest openly pansexual brother in the large gospel musical family of 10 singing children (7 sons and 3 daughters), who happens to be a former r&b singer, a heroically well-versed but totally amoral policeman with an emotionally traumatized upbringing! 🙏🏿💜😊 Because it's going to be wonderful in their upcoming character developments as siblings in the next season and other future seasons of this show! 💯💖
1
-
R
And I truly hope and pray that Mr. Ryan Phillippe's new character arc be a very excellent assistant fire captain to Captain Hart and the whole entire 113 crew! 🙏🏿💜😊 And I also hope and pray that RP's new play role will leave Blue and Taylor's beautiful relationship as future newlyweds alone in the next season and other future seasons of this show! 🙏🏿💜😊 I wish that Roxie's family members (including her parents), to get along with her in the next season and other future seasons of the show! 🙏🏿💜😊 And lastly, my wish for the next season and the other future seasons of this show, is to have Taylor Thompson sing with her 9 older musical siblings (including Luke James' upcoming play role as a former r&b superstar, a military veteran and a authentically heroic mnpd officer), her parents, her grandparents, her cousins and her longtime friends in the traditional gospel way in the church! 🙏🏿💜✨🎶😊
1
-
R
And then as I said before, Don, his future assistant fire captain and the whole entire 113 firehouse crew members will grow their original longer hairstyles back to natural life from the late-summer of 2026 to the mid-spring of 2027! 💯💖☺️
1
-
R
And again, while they're begin to film their upcoming sophomore season of this show, Mr. Ryan Phillippe's new character arc will debut his military induction buzz cut and his clean shaven face for a very hot summer!! 🔥🏝️ And as I'd already stated above, that the whole entire 113 firehouse crew members will debut their brand new "bald by choice" identities and their new light blue firehouse uniforms with the exact name for a very hot summer!! 🔥🏝️
1
-
R
And as I'd already mentioned before, I hope and pray that Blue and Taylor's beautiful relationship goes so smooth in the upcoming sophomore season of this show! 🙏🏿💖☺️ Just like their debut season this year! 💯❤️😁
1
-
R
And after Mr. Ryan Phillippe joined the cast, it's going to be the next new series regular, Luke James' turn for his upcoming portrayal of Taylor's 3rd-oldest brother in the large gospel musical family of 10 singing children (7 sons and 3 daughters) and a 2-decade authentically heroic however morally compromised metropolitan nashville police department officer with an emotionally disturbed past and other new new cast members to join the whole entire 911 universe family for the upcoming sophomore season and other future seasons of 911: Nashville! 💯💖☺️ And that's my hopeful prediction! 🙏🏿💜😁
1
-
R
Hopefully his new fictional character arc will be best friends forever with Don and Ryan! ❤️
1
-
R
I wish that Don and Elias to make peace with each other because they're too old for this beef towards Don's crew at the firehouse! 🙏🏿💜☺️
1
-
C
Since he and Roxie are both from NY, they might have a history. It doesn't have to be sexual or negative, but maybe they know each other from work.
If Don's going to get with Dixie, Ryans character is the perfect guy for Blythe.😀
-
R
Blythe and Elias (Belias), will be a perfect couple for sure! ☺️
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services