9-1-1 Actor Comments on Possible Return 2 Years After Last Appearance

   

9-1-1 star Troy Winbush has opened up on whether he would be willing to return to the hit drama series two years after his last appearance. Winbush plays Nathaniel Greene in the 9-1-1 franchise.

The firefighters of ABC TV show  9-1-1 wearing turnout gear, lit up by lights off their fire truck

Nathaniel is the biological father of Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Karen Wilson's (Tracie Thoms) son, Denny (Declan Pratt). In an interview with Screen Rant, Winbush talked about how his character is theoretically still around, revealing that he's open to making a comeback. "You know what? Time will tell. A great bunch of guys, I got out of Chicago right before winter hit, the last episode I did. He's still around, so who knows?"

Winbush also opened up on what it was like filming his three-episode arc. He appeared on one episode in Season 2, and two episodes in Season 6. "It was really fun doing that show. It was really fun doing that show and to be amongst a group of guys who are welcoming, who were welcoming. The time that I spent there was actually fun. Who knows what the future may hold with that?"

9-1-1 Henrietta, Karen, and Denny

The character of Nathaniel Greene was shown to have formed a father/son bond with Denny, although neither Hen nor Karen were originally aware of their closeness. The two mothers later permitted Denny and Nathaniel's ongoing friendship, realizing that there might be some good to come out of it. This leaves plenty of options going forward for Winbush to reappear in the series' plot.

The relationship between Denny and Nathaniel has been a complicated one that 9-1-1 has slowly been exploring with more depth. Denny's biological mother, Eva, and Nathaniel met while in rehab, and their relationship led to his birth, despite Nathaniel not knowing Denny was born. Eva later signed away her parental rights to Hen and Karen so that they could adopt him, later filing for custody when she was released from jail.

9-1-1 is Already Renewed For Season 9

9-1-1 Season 8 - Denny, Hen, and Karen at accident
Image via ABC

While Winbush's character of Nathaniel Greene may not have been seen in 9-1-1 for a few years, the show has been moving steadily along, and its Season 8 finale aired earlier this month. Season 8 was a particularly emotional one for the series, with the show losing one of its major cast members in an episode that highlights the true dangers that the show's characters face in their line of work as first responders.

Back in April, while Season 8 was still airing, ABC renewed 9-1-1 for another season with a reported 18-episode total. The 9-1-1 universe will further expand later this year, with 9-1-1: Nashville set to premiere on ABC during the 2025-2026 television season, marking the second spin-off to Ryan Murphy's successful procedural drama.