FOX’s 9-1-1 boasts a stellar cast of actors who bring high-octane rescues to the small screen every week. But there’s one actor who holds the entire show afloat (especially when it runs into potential jump-the-shark territory). As Athena Grant, Oscar-nominated Angela Bassett, is the true MVP of the large cast. She utilizes her no-nonsense attitude and expert crime-fighting skills in each episode with a natural grace and ease. Whether she’s arresting baddies or spending time with her hubby, Bobby (Peter Krause), Bassett is a master at injecting authenticity into otherwise outlandish situations (tsunamis, dam breaks, blimp explosions, etc.). She’s always been an asset to the series, which premiered in 2018, but the latest showcase of her immense talents is in the first three episodes of this year’s Season 7. Of course, she gets to do some epic rescuing, but she also delivers a heartfelt and vulnerable speech about her marriage to Bobby.

Angela Bassett Portrays a Tough Cop with a Soft Side

Most network television procedurals featuring cops offer traditional characters that tend to be one-note. Because of Bassett’s vast experience (over 100 acting credits and counting), she is able to bring Athena to life in a way that makes all of her scenes in 9-1-1 instantly more compelling. There are two sides to Athena that audiences see: when she’s on the job as a police officer and when she’s spending time with her friends and family. In the first role, viewers get to see Bassett in action, taking down criminals and solving crimes that most other officers would be befuddled by. But Athena is written as a character who isn’t just tough on crime; she’s also got a heart of gold. Bassett brings a compassionate sensitivity to the role, putting to shame those other corrupt cops on television and in movies who are all about abusing their power. Athena is passionate and fiery, but she’s also intelligent, thoughtful, and perseverant (all traits that are typically an inept criminal’s worst nightmare).

When Athena isn’t arresting all the bad guys in Los Angeles, she’s focusing on the important relationships in her life. She’s having heart-to-heart chats with her best friend, Hen (Aisha Hinds) and her husband, Bobby. She’s also often seen dispensing stern but practical advice and providing loving support to her two children, Harry (Marcanthonee Reis) and May (Corinne Massiah). This is another way that Bassett showcases her warmth and wisdom, qualities that are often missing from procedurals that are overly focused on moving onto more exciting plot-lines. 9-1-1 inserts moving, interpersonal drama into each episode without becoming weighed down by stilted dialogue, and Bassett is a huge reason why each episode can switch believably between heart-pumping crises and more understated moments within relationships.

‘9-1-1’s Cast Benefits From Angela Bassett’s Talent

9-1-1 has a pretty large cast of regulars. There’s a lot of star power here, including veteran actors such as Krause and Jennifer Love Hewitt. But the reason they all gel as a team of first responders is largely due to Bassett. As a police officer, she can be brought in to handle legal matters that arise when the firefighters are on a call, and her marriage to Bobby means she’s always part of the 118 Firehouse’s quality-time hang-outs. Because of the caliber of her acting (two Oscar nominations, an Honorary Oscar, two Golden Globe wins, and eight Emmy nominations), Bassett is capable of elevating any scene she’s in. It’s easy to argue that the entire cast has to up their game every time she shares a scene with one of them.

One of Bassett’s best qualities is her empathy and her honesty; every character she plays has an innate humanness that makes her instantly relatable. In the opening episode of Season 7 (“Abandon ‘Ships”), Bassett confesses her fears about her marriage to her therapist. She suspects that she and Bobby don’t have a strong enough foundation, and that they were initially drawn together because of the shared trauma they’ve experienced (surviving numerous natural disasters will do that!). Bassett’s candor and openness in this scene are a great example of why 9-1-1 has surpassed most other procedurals. There is a heart and willingness to share the darker sides of life that helps to set it apart from other network cop dramas.

But it’s not just the intense scenes that Bassett pulls off with aplomb. She also nails the dry delivery of some of the series’ most humorous moments. In the same opening episode of Season 7, Bassett pokes fun at her recent Oscar loss. She was nominated in 2023 for Best Supporting Actress for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but she lost to Jamie Lee Curtis from Everything Everywhere All at Once. During that same conversation with her therapist (mentioned above), Athena is talking about Shelley Winters being nominated for an Oscar for the film, The Poseidon Adventure, back in 1973. The therapist asks, “Did she win?” Bassett’s straight-face delivery of, “No, she did not,” is the best line of the entire episode. Her sense of humor (especially about her own career) is another example of Bassett’s classiness and her ability to lift up an otherwise ordinary scene.

As Athena, Bassett puts aside her real-life glamour and red-carpet lifestyle to portray a woman whose main goal is to protect and serve. While some might be turned off by 9-1-1‘s disaster-of-the-week showiness or its inherent quest for shock value, no one can deny that Bassett is able to keep the show grounded. Her authenticity and drive to keep the people around her safe adds the heart the series needs to outpace other procedurals on television right now. In the words of Ariana DeBose, “Angela Bassett did the thing,” and she continues to prove that 9-1-1 would be lost without her.

New episodes of 9-1-1 air on ABC on Thursday nights and are available to stream next