9-1-1 is finally giving Bobby (Peter Krause) and Athena (Angela Bassett) a new house after burning down theirs in the Season 7 finale. But how that played out was originally supposed to be very different.
In the ever-evolving world of prime-time TV, characters grow, arcs twist, and storylines morph in ways that keep fans on their toes. One such transformation that has fans buzzing is Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s role on the hit series ‘9-1-1’. Known for his legendary role as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, Warner has made a powerful return to the small screen—this time, as a complex, layered character that wasn’t always planned to go the distance. Let’s dive deep into how Warner’s arc on 9-1-1 shifted dramatically, what it means for the series, and how the actor himself feels about it.
“I remember when Tim [Minear, showrunner] first talked to me about the character, initially I was the one that burned down the house,” Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who had an arc in Season 7 as Amir, a nurse who was burned and lost his wife in the fire that Bobby was inadvertently responsible for and that killed his family back in Minnesota, tells TV Insider. He loved that idea. “I was thinking I was coming in, I was going to be the villain,” he explains. “I get to come in, there’s this evil streak, I get to be like the mad villain. And after we did the first episode, Tim was like, ‘I don’t know if I really want you to burn down the house. I think we established someone with such a great moral compass that it’s kind of hard to believe that he would burn the house down.’ And I’m like, ‘Tim, I’ve been doing all of this work to go from the guy with the moral compass to find an organic reason to burn the house down. What are you talking about? I’ve been preparing for this.’ Ultimately, he said, ‘Yeah, but if I want to bring you back next season, I can’t have you dead or rotting in jail. But we will make the audience think that you burned the house down.’ So I was like, ‘Okay, that’s, that’s a good compromise.’”
So with that in mind, we had to ask if we could see him return to 9-1-1. “I would love to go back,” he says, adding with a laugh, “Just not deal with another fire, give me anything else but another fire. Tim and I joked about coming back having married an excellent plastic surgeon so I wouldn’t have to sit through two and a half hours of makeup again.” In addition to that time in the makeup chair, Warner fondly recalls working with Krause and Bassett.
“I really loved working with Peter. We had such a good time together because we spent most of our time together. We had just a great camaraderie off camera, but our on-camera work was so much fun. I’ve always been a fan of him since Six Feet Under, so being able to spend time with him and to go toe to toe with this guy who I’ve been watching for years was really fun,” he shares. “And Angela, I think that was our fourth time working together. So I knew Angela before the world knew Angela, so it’s always great being able to reunite with her.”
Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s unexpected extended arc on 9-1-1 is proof that sometimes, the best stories aren’t planned—they’re discovered. His role went from guest spot to fan favorite, from background character to emotional anchor. And whether or not Elijah Martin sticks around long-term, there’s no doubt he left a mark. Sometimes, the universe—and the writers’ room—knows exactly what a story needs. And in this case, it needed Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
