‘9-1-1’ Actor Ryan Guzman On His TV Journey And Living In The Moment

Since joining the hit 9-1-1 series in season two, actor Ryan Guzman has been heating up our television screens ever since, playing Los Angeles firefighter Eddie Diaz. However, Guzman, 37, was already turning heads, well-before he joined Station 118 on the ABC drama series. Previously, he could be seen as Jennifer Lopez’s obsessed young neighbor in The Boy Next Door and as a wildly skilled dancer in Step Up Revolution.

Sitting down with Guzman for a new conversation, before we discussed his journey on 9-1-1 up to this halfway point of season eight (with new episodes returning March 6 on ABC), I was curious what he might want to say to the real life firefighters, who recently went above and beyond to fight the California wildfires.

Guzman said, “Grateful. I’m beyond grateful for what they’ve done. Thank you for the amount of effort, the amount of time, the sacrifice they put in to just make safety a priority for everybody, and those that are affected by the fire – how they show up. I think the first 48 hours, they were nonstop working when the fires were going on. So, it shows you the discipline and determination of these individuals. But yeah, thank you! That’s what I got to say to them.”

With his rigorous schedule in filming these many 9-1-1 episodes each season, while fortunately having consistent work because of that, in what ways has this entire television process perhaps helped him grow, not only as an actor, but as a human being?

“That’s such a great question,” Guzman said. “Yes, it has made me grow. I mean, it’s trial-by-fire and you get almost immediate gratification – or lack thereof – because you see it in the first half of the season, we’re actually still filming while the show is coming out. So, you see what works – you see what doesn’t work. Then, having seven years for me, myself, to look back on and see how much has been developed over the years, it’s night-and-day different. I feel like prior to being an actor on 9-1-1, I didn’t really call myself an actor. I thought I was just kind of fooling everybody. I was just like working my butt off to try and get the job, but I felt like if I had a lack of talent, I might as well just put in the hard work. Now, I feel more solidified in the idea that I am an actor and that I put my best foot forward, and I put in as much as I can into the character, so it really does connect with the audience and give the audience an opportunity to see themselves through the character.”

Throughout the 9-1-1 series, Guzman has played a father, a colleague, a friend and more, but I wondered what it is about the evolution of his character Eddie that still motivates him to continue to want to tell his story on-screen, without it feeling stale.

Guzman said, “I think you hit the nail on the head. It’s more so the arc of the character. It’s the evolution of a human being. I like the fact that when Eddie first started on 9-1-1, he was this kind of All-American, perfect – meant to be a perfect individual with the Silver Star over here and just so many accolades behind him, that would make you think that this guy is impermeable. The fact that over the the course of seven seasons, we’ve seen the destruction of that and then the reconstruction of an individual to be a vulnerable individual – to be a more accessible individual. I think the humanity that we’ve been able to showcase through this character is what keeps me coming back.”

I quickly followed up with Guzman, asking if the reconstruction of Eddie has helped him in his real life, beyond the cameras.

“Absolutely! I pulled from the character. I’ve always considered acting to be more therapy for me than it was a job, which is why I love acting, in general. It’s a way to press upon an empathetic tissue and if I don’t have the experience, I now force myself to be in the environment to curate that experience and then see what happens. So yeah, there has been so many times in my personal life that’s kind of like – What would Jesus do? – but instead of Jesus, like – What would Eddie do? – moment. It’s been really nice.”

Remaining such a prominent character within this talented 9-1-1 ensemble cast, I was curious when Guzman gets a certain storyline or a character development arc in the script, if he feels he can now comfortably speak up with 9-1-1 writers and producers when something does not feel right to him about Eddie’s direction.

“Yes, I feel that there is a sense of truth now that I pull from. I think if we live in the truth for the character itself, it gets beyond a ‘tit for tat’ or a back-and-forth between me or writers or the showrunner. There’s more substance now and then more opportunity to have a healthy conversation about where the character should stay in the truth.”

Guzman has also been a working actor beyond his 9-1-1 commitments, including him recently co-starring alongside Isla Fisher and Greg Kinnear in the film, The Present. So, how is Guzman noticing that his priorities and the stories that he wants to attach his time and efforts to, are evolving lately?

He said, “That credit goes to my children. My children are the biggest teachers in my life. They are such reflective beings, you know? They allow me to kind of simplify life into terms where how would I teach myself, let alone teach my son or my daughter, how to navigate the obstacles and intrusions that life offers. The connection I have built with them extends itself to my mom, my dad, my friends – my friends I call my family. I think just by proxy, it has allowed for me to pull from something different when I’m going for these new jobs or I’m attaching myself to these new roles.”

With the ongoing success of the 9-1-1 series and Guzman’s loyal fanbase, he has gained a large social media following over the years, currently with 1.1 million followers on Instagram. So, I wondered next how he chooses what to share on social media and what parts of his personal life he chooses to keep out of the public eye.

Guzman said, “In the beginning of my career or beginning of whatever Instagram was, because I didn’t start my Instagram – Jennifer Lopez started my Instagram [during The Boy Next Door publicity]. So, it was such a strange, new concept to me. Even going back into Facebook days, I really didn’t enjoy sharing my personal thoughts because I thought that was just something that I should keep close to the heart and why would anybody care? But now, I’ve seen there’s such an opportunity with my platform to showcase struggles and trials & tribulations to humanize myself for my audience or for the fans that follow me, to maybe elevate their lives – to create some kind of connection. That’s why I did open up about my prior struggles years ago. I try to not be the perfect individual. I think the ability that most people use this platform to try and attain perfection, really strains who they are. I’ve seen it firsthand now. I don’t want that for individuals. I want people to see the commonality, rather than poking at all the differences. I’d rather just emulate something that I would love to see in the world.”

When we last saw Eddie on the 9-1-1 midseason finale, he seemed to be at somewhat of a crossroad in his path forward. So, does Guzman think that Eddie’s storyline on the series is coming to a quality end anytime soon, or could he see himself happily playing Eddie for more seasons to come?

“I love the character so much and it’s been a pleasure playing the character for so long, that I could see myself playing for a bit longer. However, if I woke up tomorrow and the character was no longer available to play, I would feel solid in the fact that I did my due diligence with him.”

I next let Guzman know that I interviewed his 9-1-1 co-star Oliver Stark, who plays fellow firefighter Buck on the series, last year when that character’s bisexual storyline came about. With fans and social media often speculating the depth of the supportive and sometimes emotional bond between Eddie and Buck on-screen, I was curious if Guzman feels there could be more to this close friendship, and if a romantic turn of events in the script was ever pitched to him, would he be open to it, or does he feel that this would not be the path for Eddie?

Guzman said, “I see something very specific. I pull from my own experience. I’ve had plenty of friends – not so much bisexual, but more so homosexual – that I’ve seen them live their lives. I like to advocate the environment of safety and the ability of trust between different sexualities and different individuals. So, I think there’s such a strong storyline within that and the opportunity to showcase to the world – and the now ever-changing environment and with the new political environment we’re in, that there shouldn’t be a division between individuals. I think that comes priority, to be honest, rather than let’s say leading people on into thinking anything else.”

Looking ahead at Guzman’s acting career, what does he envision for himself and is already laying out the groundwork in the types of roles and opportunities that he wants to take on next?

“I’d love to do more action roles. I mean, I grew up on Rambo, the Arnold Schwarzenegger roles. Bruce Lee was my guy – that’s why I started doing martial arts at six years old and fought in MMA for however long. So, I would love to showcase that. I mean, the quite a few last roles that I’ve had have been way different than that, so I would love the opportunity to get into the action, more like rugged-type vibe.”

Even with all of the high points that Guzman has had lately, he has also experienced some of the lowest of lows. As he hinted at earlier in our conversation, he shared during a May 2024 conversation on Tommy DiDario’s I’ve Never Said This Before podcast that he had attempted suicide in recent years. So, following that experience, I was curious how Guzman would describe himself today in 2025. Now, when he wakes up in the morning, what brings him the joy to make the very best of the life we have?

Guzman said, “I bring it down to a moment-to-moment basis. So, everything is present – not living too far in the past and not living too far in the future. All we have is this present moment and I try to take advantage of it as much as I can, and be aware of what I’m doing with it as much as I can. I think of it as – it’s kind of silly to say – the present is the gift, but it is. I think I threw that away for so long, worrying about other people’s opinions or worrying about what people might lead me to do, or think and feel. It’s more about me understanding who I am and having a better grasp on what I’m able to do with what I have. It’s been seven or eight years since that event. I’ve seen it – every single year has been a new layer that I’ve kind of tapped into and it’s just offered so much more that I could have never had foreseen. So now, I’m in this atmosphere where I feel I live in so much abundance.”

So, come March 6 with new 9-1-1 episodes returning, I wondered what Guzman is excited for audiences to see, as Eddie and the people within his fictional world finish out season eight.

“There are going to be some big changes in Eddie’s life. Big, big changes in Eddie’s life. Much like myself, Eddie is always thinking about his children and what he will do for his child. There’s nothing he won’t do, but that will incur some massive changes. In the next couple episodes when we come back, you’re going to understand what that means.”

As I concluded my conversation with the 9-1-1 actor and rising Hollywood star, I asked Guzman if he could speak to his character Eddie Diaz, after all of his experiences so far on 9-1-1 – and could give him advice, a warning, a comforting message – what would Eddie appreciate hearing from Guzman, being the person that probably knows him best from the outside in?

Guzman said with Eddie in mind, “Trust yourself. I would tell him to trust himself because everything that he has been searching for, everything that he has been confused about is inside of him, and who he innately is, is more than enough. So, whatever direction he decides to go, if he trusts himself, he will be just fine.”