The two actresses now star together in Netflix’s political thriller ‘Zero Day’
Angela Bassett is loyal to 9-1-1.
The TV star, 66, spoke to PEOPLE about reuniting with her former costar Connie Britton in Netflix’s political thriller Zero Day at the show’s premiere event on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at The Plaza Hotel in New York City.
Bassett, star and executive producer of 9-1-1, revealed that the door is always “open” for Britton, 57, who played 911 operator Abby Clark in the first season, to return.
Mentioning that she “reconnected” with Britton on the upcoming limited series, the actress recalled their past experience working together. “We worked on that first season and we’re now in our 8th season of that show,” she said of 9-1-1. “It’s always like, Connie, open door, whenever you want to come back.”
Ultimately, Bassett shared that she’s “so glad we had a chance to work on this piece of television history” with Britton, noting that it is Robert De Niro’s “first foray into television.”
Zero Day, co-created by Eric Newman, Noah Oppenheim and Michael S. Schmidt, follows De Niro as former United States president George Mullen, who comes out of retirement to head the Zero Day Commission amid a dangerous cyber attack. Bassett plays the current president while Britton is Mullen’s former chief of staff and right-hand woman. The cast also features Jesse Plemons, Lizzy Caplan, Joan Allen and Matthew Modine.
Xem bài viết này trên Instagram
On the topic of the show’s all-star cast, Bassett also told PEOPLE that it was an honor to work with Modine. “I met Matthew many years ago at a film festival, so it was great to reunite with him because it’s been decades.”
The actress added, “It was great to meet the amazing Joan Allen, such a sweetheart. And meeting Lizzy Caplan. I didn’t have any scenes with Jesse Plemons, but I am a big, big fan.” She continued to praise the creative team, particularly director Lesli Linka Glatter, whom she previously worked with on the series ER.
“There were some reconnections, some friendships from afar,” Bassett said.
Britton made an epic comeback on 9-1-1 in 2020, when she returned for the show’s dramatic two-part season 3 finale. The actress previously starred in the Fox series for 10 episodes in its inaugural season before Jennifer Love Hewitt took over as 911 operator Maddie Kendall.
Tim Minear, who co-created the series with Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, teased Britton’s return at the 2018 summer Television Critics Association tour, per Deadline. “The front door, back door and side door are always open for her to return,” Minear said of the Friday Night Lights alumna.
Bassett, meanwhile, still stars in the show as Los Angeles Police Department sergeant Athena Grant-Nash, who is married to the Station 118 Captain Robert “Bobby” Nash, portrayed by Peter Krause. She also executive produced its spinoff, 9-1-1: Lone Star.
The actress spoke to PEOPLE about her character’s romance ahead of the season 7 premiere in 2024, saying that it wasn’t originally in the cards.
“That wasn’t the idea, but Tim … just seeing the way it was playing out, my arena, his body and word to these individual worlds and how they collided and that we were the adults, the grownups … that’s where the story and the playing of it inspired the journey,” she explained.
As for working with Krause, she said, “He’s so calm. He’s very sweet, very professional. Likes to have a good time, but he’s just real, honest.”
Zero Day premieres on Feb. 20 on Netflix. Meanwhile, 9-1-1 returns on March 6 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
