‘9-1-1: Nashville’ Adds a Fan-Favorite ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Alum

The upcoming 9-1-1 spin-off has added its first female series regular. Deadline reports that Grey's Anatomy alum Jessica Capshaw has been cast in 9-1-1: Nashville, the second spin-off in the 9-1-1 universe. Capshaw joins NCIS: Los Angeles alum Chris O'Donnell as the second cast member to be announced. She will play Captain Don Sharpe's wife and series lead Ryan's mother. The role of Ryan is yet to be cast. Additionally, Capshaw's character's description is yet to be released, but she will star alongside O'Donnell, whose character has been described as "a rugged fire captain and rodeo rider who runs Nashville’s busiest firehouse with his beloved son. Don’s a devoted husband and family man, but he has his secrets."Capshaw is best known for playing Dr. Arizona Robbins in ABC's long-running medical drama Grey's Anatomy. The actress played the upbeat and joyful Arizona from Season 5 to Season 14. Capshaw departed the series in 2017 after nine seasons. However, she returned to the procedural for the landmark 20th season in 2024, guest starring for one episode. Beyond Grey's Anatomy, Capshaw starred in Hulu's Tell Me Lies. Her other main TV roles include shows like The Practice and Odd Man Out.

'9-1-1: Nashville' Takes Shape

The show is the second spin-off in the 9-1-1 universe and was preceded by the Texas-set 9-1-1: Lone Star, which ended earlier this year after five seasons. The new spin-off recalls the brains behind 9-1-1, consisting of Ryan Murphy, Tim Minear, and 9-1-1: Lone Star showrunner Rashad Raisani. Brad Falchuk and Angela Bassett serve as executive producers. Production is yet to begin, but 9-1-1: Nashville is expected to premiere in the 2025/2026 TV season alongside the flagship series.

Minear has explained some of the decisions regarding the new spin-off. "It's the city [of Nashville] itself; its personality. We just thought it would be a good fit for the franchise — and actually quite different than Texas," he said when discussing the new location. About O'Donnell's casting, he said: "I think he’ll be able to do different things on Nashville because we all know Chris O’Donnell is also very funny. I’ve been following him since he was a really young guy."

Catch new episodes of 9-1-1 on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. In this week's episode, the two-part contagion concludes. "Athena (Bassett) and Buck (Oliver Stark) are in a race against time to rescue the rest of the 118 following the fire in the bio lab," reads the log line for 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 14, "Lab Rats."

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates about 9-1-1: Nashville.