After Chris O'Donnell's community burned to the ground, signing on for 9-1-1: Nashville took on d...

The chance to &34;get out of L.A.&34; after the wildfires and film in Nashville was &34;almost too good to be true,&34; the actor says of joining the ABC drama. After Chris O'Donnell's community burned to the ground, signing on for 911: Nashville took on deeper meaning The chance to &34;get out of L.A.&34; after the wildfires and film in Nashville was &34;almost too good to be true,&34; the actor says of joining the ABC drama. By Patrick Gomez :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/pgomezheadshot25b24b6c6d8948899ca9b24a6a9a6844.jpg) Patrick Gomez is an Executive Editor at .

The chance to "get out of L.A." after the wildfires and film in Nashville was "almost too good to be true," the actor says of joining the ABC drama.

After Chris O'Donnell's community burned to the ground, signing on for 9-1-1: Nashville took on deeper meaning

The chance to "get out of L.A." after the wildfires and film in Nashville was "almost too good to be true," the actor says of joining the ABC drama.

By Patrick Gomez

Patrick Gomez is an Executive Editor at . Formerly at People magazine and The A.V. Club, the Critics Choice and Television Critics Association member has appeared on 'Today,' 'Extra!,' 'Access Hollywood,' 'E! News,' 'CNN,' and 'Nightline,' and can be seen frequently on 'Good Morning America.' Follow the Texas Native at @PatrickGomezLA wherever your media is social for all things 'For All Mankind' 'Top Chef,' and puppy related.

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October 30, 2025 1:00 p.m. ET

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Don (Chris O'Donnell) on '9-1-1: Nashville'. Credit:

Disney/Jake Giles Netter

For Chris O'Donnell, getting cast on *9-1-1: Nashville* meant more than just a new gig.

The *NCIS: Los Angeles *alum has long appreciated the work of first responders, but to play firefighter Don Hart on the ABC spinoff earlier this year came at incredibly significant timing.

"I live in the Palisades, my town had just burned to the ground," O'Donnell tells *,* referencing the wildfires that burned almost 25,000 acres of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in the greater Los Angeles area in January.

"We were very fortunate," the actor continues. "Our house was one of a couple hundred that were spared in Pacific Palisades after 5,000 burned to the ground. We feel so fortunate and so grateful to everybody that was out there fighting it. I mean, it's, there are lots of things you can complain about in life, but it's certainly not the first responders that are out there protecting all of us and fighting for us to keep us safe."

Though his home was spared, the fires — for which Uber driver Jonathan Rinderknecht was charged for starting the blaze earlier this month — completely devastated O'Donnell's community, so the chance to "get out of L.A." and film in Nashville was "almost too good to be true," says the actor.

"I think the whole nation really had a completely different appreciation for them after Sept. 11," O'Donnell adds of the respect for firefighters. "But it's something that starts when you're young. I remember being a kid and going up to the firehouse was one of the biggest thrills of all time. And when our kids were little, you are having birthday parties and seeing if you could get the firemen to stop by with the truck. I mean, who didn't have the dream of being a firefighter at some point? I mean, it's amazing."

The actor found himself channeling that childhood excitement when training with real firefighters ahead of filming *9-1-1: Nashville*.

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"It's a lot to digest," he says with a laugh. "Boy, they have a lot of equipment. I don't know how these guys do it. I think about the guys climbing up the towers on 9/11. There's so much gear and these suits and the boots and the helmets and the stuff they're carrying. And it's hot — they're extreme heat — and it's incredible. And all just the heavy machinery, the trucks and the ladders, and the knowledge they have of the different types of fires…. It's like they're doctors."

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"We've been really fortunate to have a lot of the local [firefighters] working as extras," he continues. "Some of them are almost kind of regulars. The fire chief was just by yesterday. It's fun, and it changes everything. Every time I see a firetruck go by, or I pass a fire station, I'm so curious now what's the dynamic in there, and what does their station look like inside and their firehouse?"

*9-1-1: Nashville* airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW TV"

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Source: TV

Published: November 01, 2025 at 10:58AM on Source: ALPHA MAG

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