“9-1-1”'s Jennifer Love Hewitt and Kenneth Choi on that Buck reveal, surprise return, and Maddie-Chimney future
"I think they're the most wonderful couple on TV right now," Choi says of Maddie and Chimney on the ABC first-responder drama.
Chimney and Maddie's wedding has been a long time coming for 9-1-1 fans.
"I think they're the most wonderful couple on TV right now," Kenneth Choi, who stars on the ABC drama as Chimney, tells Entertainment Weekly of his character's relationship with Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt). "I think that's why audience members resonate with them: Not every couple has an ex-husband stabbing them and kidnapping and beating them. but that's a metaphor for other trials and tribulation that couples go through. And the point is, you have to overcome it. You have to come back to what brings them back, which is true love for one another."
And this week's episode of 9-1-1 certainly put the couple through some tribulations. After wandering delirious through Los Angeles and missing his wedding, Chimney is diagnosed with viral encephalitis and confined to a hospital bed. As soon as he's good enough — and not having visions of his "blood brother" Kevin (James Chen) and Maddie's ex-husband, Doug (Hewitt's real-life husband, Brian Hallisay) — Chimney insists on a wedding in the hospital, complete with a soundtrack provided by Hewitt herself.
In the wake of the emotional episode, Hewitt and Choi speak to EW about the unconventional ceremony, those returns from beyond the grave, Buck's (Oliver Stark) sooty kiss with Tommy (Lou Ferigno Jr.), and how long they think this "happy ending" for Maddie and Chimney will last.
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Jennifer Love Hewitt as Maddie on '9-1-1'ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: That was a big episode for Chimney.
KENNETH CHOI: It was physically and emotionally and mentally and somewhat spiritually exhausting. Chimney goes to some of the darkest places a person can go to. There's a moment where he kind of is deciding, Maybe that's it. I'm just going to fall asleep and give up and that's it. So to play that kind of stuff, you have to prepare a lot as an actor. There's a physical manifestation of having viral encephalitis — and then, through it all, he's trying to find his way back to his life, to Maddie, to the wedding. Even physically, they had this thing which is called a doggy cam, which kind of gives that shaky perspective and stuff. All of these things are sort of obstacles for Chimney, and for me as an actor, which is wonderful because if you have to play an obstacle physically in real life, then it translates to the character. It took a lot out of me, but it was so satisfying when I finally saw the episode.
JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT: Kenny is just extraordinary in the episode. And for Maddie and Chimney, if you really look at their whole relationship, they are constantly fated to be reminded that no matter what, they're meant to be together, and they will always find their way back. And this story isn't any different than that. I looked at this episode as. "Oh, this is just another reminder that it's all going to be okay."
Jennifer, you have a pretty great scene where you get to go into the 9-1-1 dispatch call center In the wedding dress...
JLH: It was wild. My call center friends, when I stepped off the elevator, I don't think some of them knew exactly that it was happening. You could see them like, "What is happening?" I was like, "Oh, yeah, yeah. This is my new call center look." [laughs] No, it was hilarious. I mean, I had said to [9-1-1 co-creator and showrunner Tim Minear], I was like, "Look, if Maddie's getting married, we have to wear the dress. I can't be in it for one scene." And he goes, "Oh, no, no, no, don't worry. You're going to be in the dress." And I didn't know what he meant at the time, but it was like I was the never-ending bride. I mean, I was just in that dress the whole time. It was hilarious. But I loved being in the call center in it. I loved how proactive Maddie was. I loved that she had undying faith in him and that ultimately she was going to be lost with him if that's what it took to find him again.... It was also just really fun: me waddling around in those giant shoes, and my friends are just holding the dress all day long following me around. I had to learn to pee in a wedding dress. That's too much information, but it's very difficult. I had no idea.
The scene where Kevin brings Chimney back from the brink of giving up was incredibly touching. How was it to work with James again?
KC: That scene was so lovely to play, because it was towards the end of shooting that episode. And it was interesting because then the day after, we filmed the scene where I get to his house and then I realize, "Oh, he's not alive, he's dead." It's kind of almost like it's this dark, dark, dark. Then there's this light, but then it really hits him and it even goes darker. That's that kind of epiphany where he has that breaking point.
And Doug is back too.
KC: It's wonderful whenever they bring him back. First, Brian is a wonderful guy and he's a terrific actor. I love filming scenes with him. It's never light and flowers and roses and balloons and stuffed animals when Doug shows up. So there's a physical conflict with the viral encephalitis, but this sort of mental-emotional rollercoaster he's on, constantly seeing this figment of his imagination manifested in this character who stabbed him, who used to beat the crap out of this woman he loves and is going to marry.
But it all ends up happy in the end.
KC: It's apropos for a Chimney and Maddie wedding to be in the hospital. They always find their way back to each other. They're the couple that is about true love. I think they fell in love the moment that they saw one another. And it doesn't matter what kind of curve ball, what kind of trauma, what kind of obstacle you put in their way, they're going to surpass it. They're going to overcome it.
But this is 9-1-1, how long will that happy ending last?
JLH: Well, I think I can say this: Just yesterday, I was talking to someone on the set and I was like, "This is the first time ever that Maddie and Chimney have no unfinished business. We're just kind of in a good spot. She's happy at work. She's happy as the mom. We finally got married, and we're just kind of in a good place." I think it's just some good stability and goodness for a while. And that's kind of nice to say, because we've been through so much. I mean, I do love all the crazy stuff that we're put through — so I hope that we have some crazy stuff again. But I think for the future, at through the end of the season, it's just good. It's joy. As for season 8? Well, we'll see.
ABC/Youtube
'9-1-1' star Jennifer Love HewittYou weren't the only ones taking a big step in your relationship this episode, we also saw Buck and Tommy reveal their relationship to the rest of the 118 — to very little shock.
KC: I think it was the brilliance of Tim [Minear]. Even introducing the storyline of Buck and Tommy, he said, "I don't want it to be this very special episode of 9-1-1. I'm going to make this a f---ing romantic comedy, man. You won't see it coming. It'll come out of left field." And I think that's the same thing he did with the revelation. There's no sit down, there's no big discussion or talk about it. It's what it would be. This guy has found love fina.... Well, I think love finally. And they come in and we see their facese [covered in the same soot] and at first it is shock bcause you're like, "Oh?" but then after it's, "Oh, oh, okay." It just kind of makes sense, right? And I love the fact that he did it in such a subtle, subtle way. That's the beauty of Tim Minear's craft. He knows how to convey a story and he doesn't clobber you over the head at it. He comes in a different way where you don't expect it.
9-1-1 airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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