9-1-1: Lone Star’s Jim Parrack has spoken out about Sierra McClain’s departure, following failed contract negotiations. The actor, who played Judd Ryder, husband of Sierra’s character Grace, has mixed feelings.
Speaking to TV Line, Jim had nothing but praise for Sierra. “I love and respect her so much,” he began. “She’s a good, upstanding human being. I said, ‘Hey, trust yourself and do whatever you think is best.’ There’s no part of me, on a human level or a friend level, that could convince her to back out of such an important decision.”
While Sierra has yet to speak out about her departure, Deadline reported in June that the actress would not be returning for season five. Her on-screen partner Grace was subsequently written out, with the character temporarily leaving her family to volunteer overseas.
Noting that Sierra’s departure was both bittersweet, Jim added: “Of course, I was like, ‘Damn, that was one of the best co-stars I’ve ever had, and now I’m not going to have her.'” He also reflected on Judd’s character development this season, revealing that Grace’s absence will be a source of tension. Hinting that the firefighter may harbor some resentment toward his wife, Jim said: “Stay tuned because Judd may have some things to deal with going forward.”
Echoing this sentiment in September, co-executive producer Rashad Raisani told Screen Rant that the writers had to “accept that loss” and weave it into Judd’s storyline.
“I think most people would say that Judd and Grace were the heart and soul of Lone Star, and half of that is gone. So there’s no way we can just address it or quickly erase it,” he said.
“We just had to accept that loss for our show and, honestly, share the pain that we felt behind the scenes on camera, and turn that into a story, especially for Judd. Not to hide that, but at the same time, try to honor what both Grace and Sierra McClain meant to the show and try to make sure that we always respected and loved Grace and Sierra as we went forward. And I think we did that.”
For fans of 9-1-1: Lone Star, season five marked the beginning of the end. Last month, it was confirmed that the show had been canceled, following its move from Fox to ABC. Ronen Rubinstein, who played TK Strand, told HELLO! that he “can only see the blessing in this situation,” after playing TK Strand for more than five years.
“This young man will be happy with one season,” Ronen continued to share with fans on social media, adding: “Thank you for changing his life forever. Playing TK for the past five years has been the greatest honor of my life.”
