Acting is reactive; for four seasons, Jim Parrack had a great co-star on 9-1-1: Lone Star. Parrack’s Judd Ryder was married to Sierra McClain’s Grace. The two actors shared a lot of scenes, but abruptly ended their relationship in Season 5. McClain left the series after unsuccessful salary negotiations with the network. Season 5 saw Judd face the loss of his wife and his job. Parrack spoke to TV Line about 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5, Episode 3, “CL2,” which sees Judd return to being a firefighter. He also talked about finding out McClain wouldn’t be back for the fifth and final season.
Parrack said it was “hard to disagree” with McClain’s decision. “I love and respect her very much,” he said. “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 have advised her against such an important decision,” the actor concluded, revealing that he fully supported her decision. Some of the best scenes on 9-1-1: Lone Star featured Grace as the first point of contact in the emergency sequence. Judd and Grace were one of the most beloved couples on the show thanks to the actors’ great acting.
Parrack revealed that while he understood and supported McClain’s decision, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss throughout the final season. Speaking about losing McClain as a co-star, he said, “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,'” 9-1-1: Lone Star showrunner Rashad Raisani previously told TV Fanatic, “Grace’s absence will be felt throughout the season because it’s so fundamental to Judd’s character.” But that presence may not be good for Judd. Parrack teased some of the resentment that arises when Grace leaves her family and becomes unreachable. “If we don’t actively try to get rid of it, we don’t have to spend a lot of time developing [resentment] within ourselves. And it seems like it does the most damage to the people that we love. Stay tuned because Judd may be facing some of that coming up,” the star teased.
See how Grace and Judd’s story unfolds in all-new episodes of 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 on Fox. Catch up on previous seasons on Hulu in the US.
