<em>SPOILER ALERT: </em>This interview accommodates spoilers from “With So Tiny to Be Specific Of,” the sixth episode of the ultimate season of ABC’s “Station 19.”

Boris Kodjoe is capable to start his subsequent chapter. Because wrapping manufacturing final month on the ultimate season of ABC’s venerable firefighter drama “Station 19,” the 51-year-old actor — who rose to fame inside the early aughts inside the Showtime drama “Soul Meals” — has set his sights on broadening his horizons.

Chief amongst them is functioning additional behind the digicam. Following directing his spouse (and former “Soul Meals” costar) Nicole Ari Parker inside the Lifetime film “Protected Space,” Kodjoe expressed an curiosity in helming an episode of “Station 19,”  and his want was granted halfway by suggests of the present’s final ten-episode run. It was the excellent coaching floor for Kodjoe, whose exacting nature earned him a distinct nickname on set.

“They recognized as me ‘Germanator,’ as a outcome of I knew precisely what I wanted and what I wished, and I raced by suggests of the day,” Kodjoe, who’s of German and Ghanaian descent, tells Choice with amusing. “I obtained all people today residence by five o’clock, they normally appreciated that, in order that was enjoyable.”

Shot more than eight and a half days, this week’s episode finds Chief Natasha Ross (Merle Dandridge) going toe-to-toe with Seattle mayor Robel Osman (Emerson Brooks) to prevent wasting each and every firefighter Vic Hughes’ (Barrett Doss) job and Disaster 1, this program primarily based by Vic’s late greatest great buddy, Dean Miller (Okieriete Onaodowan), to show firefighters to de-escalate tense calls with out police intervention. That contentious battle involving Chief Ross and Mayor Osman — whose private vendetta towards Station 19 has solely grown soon after Vic publicly recognized as him out at a press convention inside the earlier episode — is juxtaposed towards a collection of flashbacks. In these flashbacks, the viewers sees the evolution of a friendship that Vic strikes up with Morris (George Wyner), a homeless Vietnam Warfare veteran whom she met on a Disaster 1 name.

As a consequence of her public outburst with the mayor, Vic is placed on probation and barred from serving to her squad reply to a hearth at Morris’ encampment. Following her fellow firefighters break the information and facts that Morris was killed inside the fireplace, Vic volunteers to run a debriefing session, all through which they concentrate on what went improper on a distinct name. Shortly soon after initiating that group dialogue, Vic — who has most most likely endured likely the most lack of any of the present’s most essential characters — lastly reaches her breaking level, feeling the compounded weight and grief of shedding not solely her great buddy but in addition this program that she made use of to try to save him.

This episode “is about Vic coming to phrases with the truth that regardless of all the time caring for everyone else, it is OK to let your self fall. It is OK to be susceptible it is OK to not be sturdy. And that has been a extremely extended time coming for her,” Kodjoe explains inside the interview beneath. “For these who take a appear at this final season, it is really been from Episode 1 that she’s been generating an try to retain it collectively, so it was a really beautiful theme.”

By the top rated of the episode, Chief Ross stops by Station 19 to ship some a lot-necessary great news: Vic can preserve her job, and Disaster 1 will dwell to battle one particular other day. Whereas taking a break from serving to his daughter, Sophie, transfer out of her college dorm for the summer season season, Kodjoe discusses his newest foray into directing, saying goodbye to the longest character he has ever performed and describes the sort of sports activities film that he hopes to make in the future.

You got the distinctive difficulty of juxtaposing the present-day storyline with all of these small vignettes which may possibly be made to point out the firefighters’ — and especially Vic’s — connection to Morris. What have been vital challenges and issues that you just had in thoughts for the reason that the director of this episode?

The VFX stuff is challenging, as a outcome of it is a need to to believe about how just about every part’s going to appear, and primarily based mainly on that, you do not need to stage each and every single shot and block it. There’s loads of motion [in this episode], and we had a stunt, an explosion, so these have been most most likely likely the most detailed difficulties I necessary to basically place collectively for rigorously in order that I made use of to be ready for any wildcard that might merely look out of nowhere.

Apart from that, the tonality of the present was fascinating as a outcome of, such as you stated, we had vignettes that took us once more to the earlier. I wished to set the tone visually, but in addition assure that we do not neglect about amongst the character traits that we knew from the earlier soon after we return and do these flashbacks. For instance, Sullivan had come a great distance from getting this grumpy, authoritative, quasi-dictator that he was to start out with, so I wished to point out that he’s come complete circle by basically diving into amongst the new character traits that now we have discovered inside the final two years, and basically displaying the juxtaposition involving him now and him then. And that goes for each and every single character on this episode we necessary to assure that we basically believed-about the arc that just about every character went by suggests of.

The emotional climax of this hour requires location in the course of the debriefing scene contained in the firehouse. How did you system capturing that?

Initial, let me give somebody props who basically wrote the you-know-what out of this episode, which is Rochelle Zimmerman, who was my companion-in-crime, who was there with me each and every step of the way in which. She helped me deal with our visitor star and assure that each and every single theme basically speaks to the tonality that we have been capturing for. Rochelle was basically the driving drive behind this episode.

I’ve obtained to give Barrett Doss props, as a outcome of she was the one particular who carried the complete episode, and he or she did extraordinary perform. She’s an extraordinary actress with so several several ranges, and I wished to basically push her to give herself permission to entry all of these subtleties that she possesses in her instrument. I wished to gradually get her to the brink of the sting, if you will, [but] I didn’t need to have her to leap. I wished her to let the viewers soar for her. She did an extraordinary job holding and combating her feelings, and we might basically see that battle in that [debriefing] scene. Following which the bunk scene immediately following the debrief was basically about her getting into into a brand new chapter. It is almost like a resurrection for her when Travis tells her that it is OK to be the youngster generally, and I really feel that was a really extremely productive scene.

The two scenes that you just’re referring to the touch on the notion of getting an person of colour — and, on this case, a Black lady — who’s typically anticipated to help and champion other individuals, even so does not all the time get the identical sort of care in return. It was considerably transferring to me to listen to Travis inform Vic privately that he’ll deal with her, that he would be the one particular to catch her when she falls. Did you give Barrett and Jay any distinct course for the bunk space scene?

I’m glad that you just obtained that from that scene, as a outcome of that is what we have been capturing for. It was a lot significantly less directing them it was additional about obtaining a dialog with them and providing them permission to uncover all of these feelings that you just merely referred to. You are suitable that it is about Vic coming to phrases with the truth that regardless of all the time caring for everyone else, it is OK to let your self fall. It is OK to be susceptible it is OK to not be sturdy. And that has been a extremely extended time coming for her. For these who take a appear at this final season, it is really been from episode one particular which she’s been generating an try to retain it collectively, so it was a really beautiful theme. If there’s one particular element that I shared with them, it was to seek out the enjoyment and the sunshine in that scene as a outcome of it is about resurrection reasonably than falling deeper.

On situation that the visible language of any present in its seventh season is currently so properly-established, how a lot inventive freedom did you have got as a director? Do you have got a certain model of course?

Personally, I visualize in pacing, and I in addition visualize in not overshooting, which implies generally a lot significantly less is additional. We’re so conversant in these characters that I do not have to carry the viewers’s hand. By generating these elaborate sort of introduction photographs, generally you will be capable to go suitable smack dab in the midst of the motion or start on a closeup of a character that is so properly-established with out displaying the surroundings that she or he is in, as a outcome of all people today is conscious of the present. So all people today is conscious of that when you get basically shut on a character who’s, let’s say, in mattress, that they’re inside the bunk space.

I took somewhat small bit of freedom and likewise the freedom of generating my extremely personal visible language, as a outcome of I knew they weren’t going to have the capability to fireplace me. The present is more than, so I made use of to be like, “Hey, what are they going to do? Not use me when extra?” So I made use of to be a lot significantly less involved with that. Even so I in addition know the present and these characters extremely properly. I wished to be accurate to that, and honor that whereas on the related time which includes somewhat small bit of my extremely personal spice to it.

3 days into capturing the premiere, you discovered that the seventh season of “Station 19” can be its final. Even so for the reason that the crew was currently prepping for the second episode, the writers basically had solely eight episodes to wrap up any free of charge ends. Are you pleased with the location we depart Sullivan inside the finale?

It is basically laborious to give just about every character a appropriate sort of sendoff, if you will, as a outcome of there’s so several characters with so a couple of years of storylines, so several ups and downs. Following I met with the writers about my character, I stated one particular element to them: “Look, guys, I seriously like you, and I belief you.” They’ve identified this character in addition to I’ve identified him, and I basically wished them to have the liberty and my self-assurance to ship him off how they see match.

Clearly, the adore story involving Sullivan and Ross is the principal storyline involving them. It is about the location they’re going to go collectively with that connection. Are they going to say goodbye to one particular one more, or are they going to take it a step further and take it to the subsequent stage? I’m basically pleased with the writers, as a outcome of the way in which they wrapped that up was phenomenal in so some approaches, as a outcome of they basically paid homage to their tradition, they normally basically created specific that we see amongst the ranges involving them that we hadn’t observed earlier than. 

What do you imply by that? What cultural particulars resonated with you personally?

1 of several difficulties that I made use of to be basically joyful to see involving them was the enjoyment and the liberty to be who they’re and never ever obtaining to cover behind their shields and fake and be skilled on a standard basis, so I basically loved this final season. I basically loved Sullivan obtaining in get in touch with collectively with his playful and joyful facet, and for people to see that as nicely. 

Sullivan is now engaged to Ross, who he met inside the army, even so there might be nonetheless a subset of followers who visualize Sullivan ought to obtain oneself collectively with his ex-wife, Andy (Jaina Lee Ortiz). How would you distinction these two relationships?

Inside the very first half of the present, with Sullivan and Andy, I really feel these two got right here from basically traumatizing situations of their former relationships, they normally fell in adore whereas combating. There was loads of combating taking place involving them as a outcome of they hadn’t come to phrases with their distinct individual pasts but. So although the adore was sturdy, the infatuation was there, and the attraction was there, I really feel that we found them nonetheless inside the therapeutic course of. I really feel that is the principal distinction involving his and Andy’s connection, soon after which his with Ross. I really feel Sullivan and Ross found one particular one more when extra soon after obtaining spent loads of time therapeutic and coming to a spot the location they’re basically at peace with who they’re. So when you are at that location, I really feel it is a lot easier to be open and susceptible as a outcome of you have got healed. 

To the “Surrera” followers who’ve been flooding my DMs each and every single day for the earlier seven years, I want to say: I seriously like you guys, and thanks for the adore and help you have established us, irrespective of whether or not it is for “Surrera” or for Sullivan and Ross. I perceive that there’s lots of people today who’re upset as a outcome of they fell in adore with [Andy and Sullivan] extremely early on inside the present. Even so people create, they alter, they modify to their surroundings, they normally drop one particular one more and uncover one particular one more. So generally, that is what happens. I hope that they’re not as well upset. I personally suppose that Sullivan and Ross found one particular one more on the great second, and I really feel Andy in addition found her objective on the suitable second as a outcome of her altering into captain was basically what the present was about. And to witness that, to observe her and to help her by suggests of all these trials and tribulations as she measures into her father’s footsteps, I really feel, can be a beautiful story. 

How would you say Robert has created inside the six seasons that you just’ve performed him?

I really feel the principal half of the collection, Robert was offended and afraid, and he was compensating for amongst the trauma that he had skilled — shedding his spouse and going by suggests of what he went by suggests of [as an Army veteran]. And the second half of the present, I really feel he was capable of let go of a couple of of these ghosts and basically step into his mild and his power and permit himself to be free of charge and to like when extra. It was enjoyable to play him constricted, even so it was a lot extra enjoyable to play him expanded, if you will. I basically loved that.

Attempting once more, do you have got an episode or storyline that you are most pleased with?

I’m pleased with all of ’em, even so [“Get Up, Stand Up”; Season 4, Episode 12] caught out as a outcome of we have been capable of collaborate with [former showrunner] Krista Vernoff on the time. It was post-George Floyd, and we did an episode that basically addressed amongst the social justice points that we have been going by suggests of on the time as a rustic and as a globe. I made use of to be basically honored and delighted to have the capability to give voice to a couple of of these feelings that I had on the time — and that is basically one particular other signature of the present. We have been by no suggests afraid to speak out, and to speak about present points that have been crucial — to shine a lightweight on difficulties which had been caught at the hours of darkness, to in addition uplift and delivers voice to communities that are not historically heard as a lot as they should really be. In order that is a testomony to the braveness of the showrunners, the producers, the writers, and the forged to assure that we continuously raised the bar and caught to these guidelines.

You merely wrapped manufacturing on the collection finale on April 19. Did you get an chance to take any on-set mementos to commemorate your time on the present?

Are you alleging that I may possibly steal one particular point from set?

Certain!

Certain, I did. I took my helmet, and I in addition took my title plate that is on the once more of the turnouts.

Robert Sullivan is now the longest function you have got ever performed, so it should really seriously really feel bittersweet to be closing such a main chapter of your profession. What are a couple of of your biggest takeaways from engaged on this present?

The important takeaway from the present, and the one particular element I’m eternally grateful for, is the relationships. I’ve created some good pals more than these earlier seven years, and I seriously like these people like household, so I do not remorse a minute of it. Regardless that the cancellation comes as a shock to all of us — as a outcome of the present has been performing extremely properly, and it is been steady for years for [ABC] — I noticed that that is enterprise, and this enterprise is fleeting. It is really, extremely temperamental, so generally, selections are created that you just might not perceive. 

To me, the significance of the present will most most likely develop to be additional apparent in five or ten and even 20 years, as a outcome of just about every undertaking that I’ve been blessed to be aspect of has had a seriously distinct half in my life [and] performed a seriously distinct function on my journey, so I’m really attempting ahead to discovering out what that objective or goal was [for being part of “Station 19”]. Even so I’ve loved each and every single second on the set of enjoying this character. We, the forged, are actually obtaining a get-collectively subsequent week. So we’re staying in get in touch with, we’re staying shut, which is de facto the biggest blessing. Really, I’m extremely excited to take this subsequent step and to enter this new chapter in my profession — performing, directing, generating, and generating several additional excellent recollections alongside the way in which.

Have you ever offered a lot believed to what you will do subsequent?

Entirely. I’m extremely intentional about difficulties that I want to do. I create down just about every aspect that I’ve deliberate. I’ve an org chart. I visualize. I’ve tons of conversations. I’m in talks suitable now about four completely unique tasks that I’m significant about. So, certain, I’m extremely excited to get on this subsequent journey, and I gained’t place any limitations on myself. I want to do choices. I want to do Television.

You are one particular of several couple of higher-profile actors I do know who really grew up enjoying aggressive tennis — and also you even competed on the collegiate stage. Have you ever observed “Challengers” but?

I’ve not observed that film but. I’ll watch it, nonetheless. I’m extremely curious to see it.

Correctly, I made use of to be going to ask you should really you had any tips on the way in which that tennis was depicted inside the film. Even so as an avid tennis fan myself, I really feel it is in addition no secret that this sport we each and every adore hasn’t precisely been depicted convincingly onscreen previously.

It all the time bothers me when sports activities films do not depict the game in a legit system. It merely drives me loopy. It requires me suitable out of the film.

How so?

It is merely that when you do not know [a sport], you do not know painting it appropriately. That is what it comes all the way down to. So although you might need to have a advisor on board who is conscious of what they’re saying and performing, you are not the director, as a outcome of the director and the editor are going to make choices which may possibly be utterly disconnected from how the game is performed. I imply, generally you see people starting the serving movement from the deuce facet they normally obtain oneself inside the advert court docket. Or they’re hitting an system shot and taking the principal 3 measures in path of the internet, soon after which the subsequent physique they’re on the baseline. I suppose most of the people today wouldn’t uncover, even so I seriously like the game. That is been my complete life, so I’m most most likely somewhat bit additional vital.

I’m specific [“Challengers”] did a wonderful job, and I seriously like Zendaya. I’m an huge fan of hers. She’s a candy, candy lady. I’ve identified her for a extremely extended time, so I’m specific she killed it when extra.

Provided your pedigree and knowledge as each and every a tennis participant and an actor, I hope you get an chance to make a tennis film in the future.

I really feel there’s an Arthur Ashe film floating round someplace, so I may possibly adore to attempt this. [Tennis] has been my life ever due to the fact I made use of to be tiny.

This interview has been edited and condensed.