For most actors, the road to landing a major network role is a long and winding one, and often filled with rejection. But for newcomer Hunter McVey, the journey to 9-1-1: Nashville moved at lightning speed, mirroring the adrenaline-fueled intensity of the series itself. The Franklin-born actor had barely wrapped his first audition tape when his entire life changed.
“That was the first audition tape I ever submitted," says McVey. "It was for a different role, but I had a feeling it may get me in front of the correct people. And then a month later, I was contacted to do a reading for 9-1-1: Nashville. I got the role. We started filming about six days later. So there was no time to think. There was no time to process. I didn't have a point where I said, ‘Hey, this is a leap of faith we're taking into this industry.’ It was just go, go, go. Here's the opportunity. Let's run. Let's start. And it's been one of the best things that's ever happened to me in my life.”
McVey didn’t need months on set to know he’d found the career he was meant for. The realization hit immediately. "It was very, very evident to me after really the first day of filming scenes with dialogue,” he says. His first big day paired him with LeAnn Rimes, who plays his mom, Dixie. “I was extremely nervous. And we had eight or nine hours worth of two scenes to film. And that day, it went by in a flash because I was so present and so engaged and was able to feel every single emotion. I had never found anything in my life, besides the gym, that allowed me to be so present and so engaged and so fulfilled. I feel like a kid when I go to work.”
Success was quick, but as is normal, not without its challenges. “The biggest challenge has been not creating my own schedule, like I was used to,” McVey says. “It's a 200-person production. And it takes a lot to get the ship moving. And once it's going, I don't know how they stop it, to be honest. But it's a lot of not being too obsessed with the outcome and more so enjoying every single day and just feeling blessed that I get to be a part of the chaos.”
Though the fitness influencer didn’t have too much time to prepare or practice his acting technique, he approached his character, Blue Bennings, with total focus.“My biggest focus was learning Blue, learning why he is the way he is. That was my biggest priority,” says McVey. The process was organic. “Blue, he's a newbie. He doesn't really know what the heck he's doing. And it parallels exactly into my life as Hunter McVey because I don't really know what the heck I'm doing. So it's pretty natural.”
Stepping onto a TV set for the first time taught him a few lessons about the acting business. “The first day on set was extremely overwhelming,” he says. And one moment in particular still makes him laugh. "After hours shooting a scene, someone said, 'turn around.' I asked, 'What does turn around mean?’ And everyone kind of started dying of laughter. ‘We're shooting all the same stuff from the other side.’ I had no idea.”
Luckily for him, he’s surrounded by seasoned actors like Chris O'Donell and Jessica Capshaw. “That's something I've been able to feel," McVey says. "And that's something that allows me to bring confidence into the scenes now. I try to just shut this mouth of mine and listen. And I'll learn a lot if I can do that.”
Long days on set energize him. “The last week, I was on set 15 hours a day for three days straight and had to learn 20 pages and a new dialogue," he says. "But there was not a second in my head where I said, ‘I can't do this. I don't want to do this.’ There's no other option. I get it done. And it's given me a lot of confidence as an individual during the last six months.”
When asked if he has a favorite moment on set, McVey says there are too many to choose from. “Every single day there's fits of laughter, there's deep discussions about the universe and God and reality and fulfillment and family," he says. "Every day is a productive day.”
But one thing he really loves? “I will say one thing that I do really enjoy is stunts," he says. "And I love adrenaline. I always like being in the moment. And the stunts make me feel more present than ever.”
McVey was born in Franklin though he grew up in Southern Indiana and Northern Virginia. His parents moved back to Franklin in 2017 and he spent a lot of time here. “It's where I've met the most incredible people, friends, family, co-workers of my entire lifetime,” he says. He talks fondly about riding his motorcycle through Leiper’s Fork and the Natchez Trace. “The beauty of Franklin is one of my favorite parts.”
In fact, his first-ever scene for 9-1-1: Nashville brought everything full circle: “Driving my ‘66 Mustang up to Raleigh Manor... on that road is where I learned how to ride my motorcycle," he says. "Now we're seeing it in Blue Bennings’ life. And it's just such a surreal feeling.”
So what's next for the emerging actor? “I think if I were to tell you, it would be setting ceilings,” McVey says. But he does know he wants more acting -- drama, comedy, “anything” that challenges him.
And as for the second half of Season 1 that premieres on January 8? “If any of the viewers thought that the first six episodes were crazy disasters or crazy family dynamic, then buckle up because the next 12 bring it to a new level," he says. "But that's all I'll say.”
As one of 9-1-1: Nashville’s most exciting new faces, McVey says, “I enjoy making human connection. I think it's one of the most important things that we have,” he says.
@hunter_mcvey / @911nashville
"I had never found anything in my life, besides the gym, that allowed me to be so present and so engaged and so fulfilled."
“If any of the viewers thought that the first six episodes were crazy disasters or crazy family dynamics, then buckle up, because the next 12 bring it to a new level."