Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Ronen Rubinstein of 9-1-1: Lone Star

Ronen Rubinstein is heating up the screen as fireman T.K. Strand in Ryan Murphy’s action-packed procedural drama 9-1-1: Lone Star. The breakout new series follows first responders and father-son duo Owen and T.K. Strand as they relocate to Texas to rebuild a fire station that’s suffered an unimaginable loss. As they put their lives on the line to protect and serve others, we learn more and more about the men and women of Firehouse 126.

One of those men is T.K. Strand, a young firefighter who’s been through a lot in recent months and is searching for a fresh start—a storyline resonating with audiences and brought to life by Ronen’s innate ability to tackle challenging material. Pop Culturalist caught up with Ronen to chat about 9-1-1: Lone Star and T.K.’s journey.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Ronen: That’s a really good first question. It happened during high school. That’s when I discovered my initial awareness of what acting is, what it means to dive into the craft, and what it means to be an actor. I did a play in my junior year of school and caught the bug. After that, I was lucky enough to start pursuing it. By the time I got out of school, I shot a feature called It Felt Like Love. It was my first leading role. It ended up premiering at Sundance. Looking back, it was a quick transition into film and television. It felt like a wake-up call. It was like, ‘This can actually happen!” Before that, it was never anything I imagined making a career out of.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Ronen: Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio are two actors who have always stood out to me. They’re people that I’m drawn to, could relate to, and they would perform characters that I could see myself doing. Their body of work, work ethic, and their life outside of film caught my eye from a very young age. I tried to learn from them by watching them and reading up on them. Those have always been my champions.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Ronen: I think the meaning of success varies from person to person. My episode of Orange Is the New Black was the first time that I saw any acclaim and attention from fans and people in the industry. Even though it was only one guest star, it was still one of the biggest shows ever. It really skyrocketed Netflix. That one episode was huge for me. I started getting attention and love on social media. I started getting interviews, and people were interested in learning more about my work. Before that, I never had anything close to that. Even at Sundance, we did a press kit, but it was nothing compared to a show on Netflix. It was my first step into learning how to navigate that side of the business. It really helped with everything that’s happening now with Lone Star. I really, really appreciate all the fans, and I love interacting with them. At the end of the day, they’re the ones who are watching our work and hopefully relating to it.

9-1-1: Lone Star

PC: How did you hear about 9-1-1: Lone Star?
Ronen: It started off as a basic audition. Whenever you read Ryan Murphy TV show, it’s a top prize for any actor. It started with an audition. Four weeks later was the first time that I heard that I’d be testing for the role.

Funny story, I was at the ArcLight Dome watching Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, and during the movie, I had twelve missed calls from my team. I was like, “What? It must be something important.” I had to step out of the film and return their phone calls. They were like, “You’re testing for 9-1-1: Lone Star!” It was a really strange moment in time when I was watching my two favorite actors and one of my favorite directors, and I get a call to test for the biggest gig in my life. It was a very beautiful Hollywood moment.

Literally two days after my test, I get a call that Rob Lowe wants to chemistry-read with me. After that read, we instantly clicked. I ended up getting the role two days later.

PC: We’re only a few episodes in, but we can tell that T.K. has a lot going on in his life. How did you prepare to play all his layers?
Ronen: A lot of prep! A lot of notes. I like jotting down a game plan for a character. There was a lot of preparation on how I wanted to navigate certain themes and events that happen to T.K. There’s a lot that I can relate to with him, so that helped a lot. It helped me ground him and really understand who he is. You bring all that work so when you’re on set, you can use it and play off the other actors. Like you said, he has a lot of layers. But all of that really helped me navigate him. I think the work that I put in before being on set really helped me ground the character. There are a lot of difficult themes. I take it one day at a time, one scene at a time. Hopefully, it’s working out.

PC: With all these different layers, which has been your favorite to explore? Which has been the most challenging?
Ronen: My favorite coincides with the most challenging. It’s leaving your home, which I’ve experienced many times, and heartbreak. For the heartbreak to be so dramatic that you’re willing to take your life. I’ve fortunately never dealt with depression or suicide, so I can’t speak on it. I can only imagine how tremendously difficult it is. That’s been the most difficult to navigate. It’s also my favorite because it’s something new for me to learn and understand. That’s been my base that I hold onto throughout every scene and episode. T.K. is in a fragile state and it’s so fresh. It’s only been a couple of weeks. Having that in the back of my mind has helped me shape the T.K. you’ll see in the next few episodes.

PC: T.K. is at the heart of this story and has a lot of complicated relationships: with his father, with Carlos. Do you have a favorite?
Ronen: I love exploring the relationship with Carlos. They’ve given us so much to work with. It’s a really difficult balance. I just came out of this awful heartbreak, and now I have someone who wants to be with me, wants to take care of me, and wants to love me. It’s a question of whether I’m ready for this. If not, when will I be ready?

PC: The fans have really gravitated towards the relationship between T.K. and Carlos. Does that add extra pressure?
Ronen: It’s not pressure; it’s gratitude. It’s nice to know that they are gravitating to the storyline and appreciating the work that we’re putting into it. If anything, it makes us want to work that much harder and give more of ourselves to these characters. People are really investing their time and love into Carlos and T.K. I find it extremely rewarding that people are having so much fun. People are relating to our story. They’re relating to these two characters and all their complexities. It’s rewarding as an actor to have your work acknowledged.

PC: Is there anything you can tease about T.K.’s journey this season and/or his relationship with Carlos?
Ronen: Let’s see! I’m going to walk this line carefully. With T.K.’s storyline, I can say that it’s going to be a roller coaster ride for him. Like I said, it’s still a very fragile time for him. Everything’s still very fresh. I think it would be silly for T.K. to be like, “I’m fine now! Everything’s great. Let’s dive into this relationship.” It’s going to be an emotional journey for T.K., and I can say the same for his relationship with Carlos. It’s going to be a balancing act. They seem so right, but is it the right time?

PC: 9-1-1: Lone Star is your second big television role. What’s been the biggest takeaway being a part of this cast?
Ronen: I’ll never forget that our commercials started airing during the World Series. We have billboards in Times Square. We have posters all over the world. I just saw a poster in Brazil and in Portugal. For this show to be reaching such a huge audience—not just in the US but internationally—it is such a blessing. I can’t say it enough. I’ve had little tastes, but to be an integral character in a massive show, I feel like I’m floating on air every day. Coming to set every day is the greatest thing in the world. I feel so lucky to be here.

Photo Credit: Jack Zeman/Fox

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Ronen: The Great British Baking Show

PC: Guilty pleaure movie?
Ronen: The Notebook

PC: Favorite book?
Ronen: A Series of Unfortunate Events

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Ronen: Hamilton

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Ronen: It’s not a surprise but I love Kings of Leon.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Ronen: That’s a hard one! I’m still casting. [laughs]

To keep up with Ronen, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch 9-1-1: Lone Star every Monday at 8/7c on Fox.

Photo Credit: Fox