Peter Krause Opens Up About His 9-1-1 Exit as He Begins a New Chapter in Line of Fire

Peter Krause is turning the page after one of the most emotional departures of his television career.

The actor, who spent eight seasons playing beloved fire captain Bobby Nash on ABC’s hit first-responder drama 9-1-1, is now stepping into a very different kind of role in NBC’s new series Line of Fire. As the new action thriller gets underway, Krause is speaking candidly about leaving behind a character who became one of the defining roles of his career.

Krause’s departure from 9-1-1 came as a shock to many viewers. Bobby Nash had been at the center of the series since Krause joined the show in 2018, becoming a trusted leader for the firefighters and paramedics around him. His character’s death during the eighth season fundamentally changed the series and left longtime viewers mourning the loss.

For Krause, however, the ending had been known for some time.

Peter Krause Knew Bobby Nash’s Story Was Coming to an End

Krause revealed that 9-1-1 showrunner Tim Minear informed him about Bobby’s fate well before the episode was filmed. That meant the actor had to carry the knowledge privately while continuing to work alongside the rest of the cast.

The secrecy made the experience particularly difficult because Bobby was not simply another character on the show. Over the course of eight seasons, Krause helped develop the fire captain into one of the drama’s emotional anchors.

The actor has acknowledged that leaving was painful, particularly because he knew how strongly audiences connected with Bobby.

Yet Bobby’s final storyline also gave Krause an opportunity to bring the character’s journey to a dramatic conclusion. His death followed a rare virus emergency, with the captain making the ultimate sacrifice while trying to protect others.

The storyline marked a major turning point for 9-1-1. The series had already become known for putting its characters through extraordinary disasters, including plane crashes, tsunamis and other seemingly impossible situations. Bobby had repeatedly survived those crises, making his eventual death even more unexpected.

Krause has described his years on the series as an important period of his career, while making clear that he was ready to move forward.

From Fire Captain to Secret Service Agent

That next chapter has arrived with Line of Fire, NBC’s new family-centered action drama created by Joshua Safran.

Krause plays Mike Hollingsworth, a Secret Service agent whose professional life is deeply connected to his complicated family. Unlike 9-1-1, which focuses heavily on emergency responders and spectacular rescues, Line of Fire combines law enforcement investigations with an ongoing family mystery.

Mike is married to Jane Hollingsworth, played by Hope Davis, and their family includes several people working in different areas of law enforcement. The series brings together elements of a procedural thriller and a domestic drama, creating a story in which professional responsibilities and personal relationships constantly collide.

That mixture was one of the reasons Krause was attracted to the project.

Rather than simply playing another straightforward action hero, the actor found something more complicated in Mike. The character is dealing with family tensions while working in a profession that demands loyalty, discipline and an ability to protect others.

A Familiar Theme in Krause’s Career

Although Mike Hollingsworth is very different from Bobby Nash, Krause sees a connection between many of the characters he has played.

Throughout his television career, the actor has frequently portrayed men attempting to navigate difficult circumstances while trying to live according to a personal sense of responsibility.

His résumé includes acclaimed series such as Sports Night, Six Feet Under and Parenthood, as well as 9-1-1. Those roles have often placed him inside complicated family structures, where personal relationships are just as important as the professional conflicts surrounding the characters.

Krause has previously described his attraction to characters who are trying to live good lives and make decisions according to their moral principles. That perspective appears to carry into his latest role.

Line of Fire Brings Another Complicated Family

The new NBC drama centers on the Hollingsworth family, whose members are connected to several branches of the U.S. government and law enforcement.

Mike and Jane’s relationship is already strained when the story begins, while their children bring additional complications to the family dynamic. The series uses those relationships as a foundation for a larger mystery involving threats against federal agents.

The show’s structure allows individual cases to develop alongside longer-running questions about the family. That gives Krause an opportunity to balance action scenes with quieter dramatic moments.

The premiere also introduces a major mystery involving Mike’s son Jack, a character whose supposed death becomes increasingly complicated as the story develops. The revelation raises questions about who can be trusted and how much the Hollingsworth family actually knows about the danger surrounding them.

Moving Beyond 9-1-1

For viewers who followed Krause through his eight seasons on 9-1-1, Line of Fire represents an opportunity to see the actor in a completely different environment.

Bobby Nash was defined by his position as a firefighter and mentor, while Mike Hollingsworth operates in a world of federal security, family secrets and political danger.

Krause’s move also brings him back to NBC, a network with which he has a long history. His years on Parenthood remain an important part of his career, making his return to the network especially meaningful.

Rather than attempting to recreate the formula that made 9-1-1 successful, Line of Fire gives Krause a new ensemble, a new profession and a new mystery to explore.

Bobby Nash may have been an emotional goodbye, but Krause’s career is far from finished. With Line of Fire, the actor is beginning another chapter built around the kind of complicated, morally driven characters that have defined his television work for decades.