On 18 June, the 9-1-1 Instagram account celebrated Pride Month with an adorable video featuring Stark, who plays bisexual firefighter ‘Evan “Buck” Buckley.
“Hey guys, This is Oliver Stark from ABC’s 9-1-1. I’m very honoured to play a bisexual character on TV. I just wanted to take this chance to say Happy Pride Month,” Stark exclaimed from the 9-1-1 set.
It didn’t take long for the fandom to embrace the 33-year-old’s sweet message, with one person commenting: “Oliver will take every chance he gets to proudly say Buck is bi even if the show never clearly states it and I love him for it.”
Another fan on X/Twitter, wrote: “We couldn’t ask for a better actor to play buck and portray his story, so thankful for Oli.”
A third fan added: “He’s so prettyyyy. On another note- LET BUCK SAY HES BISEXUAL PLEASE I BEG.”
Stark’s Pride Month video comes a year after his beloved character came out as bisexual.
Taking place in 9-1-1’s seventh season, Buck’s queer awakening kicked off after he shared a passionate kiss with former firefighter and LAFD Air Operations pilot Tommy (Lou Ferrigno Jr.).
Following the monumental episode, Buck has continued to explore his sexuality, coming out to his family and best friend Edmundo ‘Eddie’ Diaz (Ryan Guzman), and having a full-fledged relationship with Tommy.
Naturally, fans have warmly embraced Buck’s coming-out storyline, with many celebrating his journey on social media.
However, the show’s dedicated fandom isn’t the only one to support our favourite “bi-con.”
Since the storyline was introduced, Stark has proudly supported his character’s journey through a variety of interviews and social media posts.
In a 2024 sit-down with GAY TIMES, the British actor revealed that he had planned to explore Buck’s sexuality in season seven, regardless of whether the writers made it canon.
“Yeah. It was brought to me a couple years ago as a possibility, and I had said yes, and then it was shut down from somewhere else above. So, I had known that this was a possible storyline that we might, one day, be able to lean back into,” he explained.
“Honestly, at the beginning of this season… I see what everybody else sees. Like, I watch the same show. I don’t think that the Buddie fans are wrong.
“So, I decided this year that I wanted to possibly lean into some kind of sexual awakening for Buck, anyway. When the storyline was brought to me by Tim Minear, who writes the show, it was like, ‘Great! I was gonna do that anyway. Good to know we’re all on the same page.'”
Stark also gushed about the fan reception to Buck’s bisexuality, describing it as “overwhelming.”
“I’m so happy that the response has been as positive as it has, and obviously, there are a few people who want to speak against it, as you get with any storyline anyway, but it’s almost been overwhelming. It’s been a lot to take in, but for the majority, it’s been really lovely and positive, and I’ve been really proud of it,” he said.
