Ryan Guzman fought for Eddie in the 9-1-1 ICE raid storyline

Ryan Guzman says he fought to keep ryan guzman's Eddie Diaz in 9-1-1’s ICE raid storyline, a choice that tied his character more tightly to the season’s migrant-focused plot in Los Angeles. He also says the role has helped him come to terms with his own identity, which gives this storyline a sharper edge than a routine procedural beat.

Guzman, who plays Eddie Diaz on the ABC drama, said he feared for his job security when Eddie was shot by a sniper in 2021. That uncertainty has followed the character through back-to-back years of near-death plots, including the season nine finale, where Eddie was stabbed in the abdomen by Anatoly Caster after the show had already sent Athena Grant into the center of a raid on a human trafficking ring involving migrants.

Tim Minear packets

“We get these production packets [from showrunner Tim Minear], so we never get a full script, really.” Guzman said that limited access keeps the cast guessing, and he added, “It always keeps us on the edge of our seat,” before calling the show’s habit of turning hard left after nine seasons a routine part of the job.

“The show always throws curveballs at us, and we’ve become used to it after nine seasons of adjusting to it.” That pattern matters here because Eddie did not just survive another plot twist; he was written directly into a story about migrants in Los Angeles after Guzman pushed for it. In a long-running series, that kind of actor input can shape which characters get pulled into the biggest episodes.

Eddie and Buck

Guzman also discussed the fan-favorite relationship between Eddie and Buck, saying Eddie’s personality changes how the pair reads on screen. The character is not built for easy sentimentality, and that restraint has kept the relationship active for viewers who track the show as much for interpersonal turns as for the first-responder cases.

“Eddie’s seen battle before, so he’s gotten shot at countless times now.” Guzman said after the stabbing, and he added, “Stabbing is nothing.” The line fits the character’s history: Eddie has already survived a sniper attack in 2021 and another near-death stretch in season nine, so the latest injury plays less like a reset than another pressure test.

Season Nine fallout

Buck was the first to notice Eddie was missing, and the rest of the 118 later rescued him after the hospital lockdown ended. That sequence leaves Eddie alive for now, but it also keeps him at the center of a season that has already linked Athena’s raid, Ben Hooks’ attempt to cover up his role by shooting her in the penultimate episode, and Anatoly Caster’s attack in the finale.

For viewers, the takeaway is simple: Guzman is not just reacting to Eddie’s storylines, he is shaping them. That means Eddie’s place in the series remains one of the clearest signs of how much leverage a long-tenured performer can have inside a network drama that still likes to keep its cast guessing.