Angela Bassett is still not over her costar Peter Krause’s character Bobby Nash being killed off on 9-1-1.
Speaking to People in an interview published on Thursday, May 8, Bassett, 66, admitted she was still grieving the shocking TV death.
“I’m in mourning,” Bassett, who played Nash’s wife Athena, told the outlet. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. It wasn’t my choice. I don’t know.”
The actress then shared a message to the show’s fans, telling them: “Keep hope alive. Maybe he’ll return in my dreams, you know, my memories.”
Krause’s character, Captain Nash, died in a gripping two-part episode of the drama, which aired on April 17, after contracting a deadly virus. In the ultimate hero move, Nash sacrificed himself to save his colleague Howard ‘Chimney’ Han (Kenneth Choi) who was also infected with the rare virus, after they got their hands on the vaccine — but the dose was only enough to save one of them.
Before his death, Nash had just enough time to say a heartfelt goodbye to Athena in tear jerking scenes. Athena, Chimney and the rest of the 118 are now dealing with the aftermath of Nash’s death in subsequent episodes of the show.
Basset previously shared her disbelief that Krause’s time on the series had come to an end, which was particularly unexpected given the actor had been front and center since 9-1-1’s inception in 2018.
“Tim [Minear, the showrunner] did pull Peter first and let him know. Then he pulled me and he gave me a call and was like, ‘OK, Angela, this is a big change in the season. We gotta do something really dramatic — and someone’s going to die,’” Bassett told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published after the episode aired. “And then there’s a pause, of course. And I said, ‘Is it … Athena? Is it me?!’ He was like, ‘No.’”
Bassett recalled she continued to speculate which actor and their character were no longer going to be on the show, but the idea of Krause didn’t even occur to her.
“I think finally, after about three or four names, I was like, ‘What?!’ — because it was inconceivable to me that it was Bobby,” Bassett said. “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.”
For his part, Krause, 59, wrote an emotional open letter via social media following the dramatic two-part event and paid tribute to everyone involved, including 9-1-1’s cast, crew and fans.
“I’ve heard that many fans are upset by this loss and they have a right to be. It is a loss. That said, it was more than a bold creative choice on a bold show. Bobby Nash was written in sacrifice and he was built for this. First responders risk their lives on the job so that others can see another day. His story 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 wrote.
He added: “I will miss all my 9-1-1 family. Our incredible crew whose professional excellence is second to none. 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. I will miss my partner, Angela Bassett. Her strength and her sweetness, and us holding hands. We parted ways too soon. Much love.”
