Exclusive Interview
‘9-1-1’s Oliver Stark Talks the ‘Messed Up’ Love Story in ‘The Long Con’ (VIDEO)
What To Know
- Oliver Stark stars as The Grifter in the short film The Long Con alongside Nava Mau.
- He met the film’s writer and director through 9-1-1.
- Stark spoke with Swooon about the love story in The Long Con and whether he’s interested in future romance roles.
Oliver Stark stays busy navigating the highs and lows of Buck’s life on 9-1-1, but The Long Con was something he couldn’t turn down. Stark plays The Grifter in the short film, in which his character gets caught up in a romantic stand-off with a runaway bride (Nava Mau) at a desert motel.
The Long Con only took a few days to shoot, but Stark felt immediately immersed in the gritty world of the short film. He spoke with Swooon about The Grifter and The Bride’s relationship, as well as his future plans in the world of romance.
Stark told Swooon that the relationship between The Grifter and The Bride is “pretty toxic but kind of beautiful in its own messed-up way.” He continued, “Obviously, two people who are longing for something in a different kind of life and have made bad choices and have been in bad situations, but are kind of maybe trauma bonded through that, and looking for a way out with good intentions, but obviously going about it in not the best way.”
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The Long Con was written and directed by Aitch Alberto, whom Stark actually met through 9-1-1. “There’s an initiative that Ryan Murphy Television runs, where there’s always a directing mentee on set, and there’s somebody that has made some short films, maybe a feature, but they tend to be from a marginalized community. And so I met Aitch through that years ago, and we’ve always wanted to work together.”
Alberto wrote The Long Con and brought the role of The Grifter to Stark. “Honestly, whatever she wrote, I would have wanted to sign up for, but I did love it as a standalone piece, regardless of her, too. I was really happy that it worked out,” he said.
Buck has had his romantic moments over the seasons on 9-1-1, but could The Long Con be the first of many roles in the romance genre for Stark?
“I like working with talented people, and it’s not so much a genre that calls to me as much as working with people who are really excellent at the things that they do, and that’s what this project was for me, and I’m always open to doing more of that.”
Since we’re Swooon, we had to ask him to choose between a romantic drama, historical romance, or a rom-com. For his next role in the world of romance, Stark picked a romantic drama, and we are so here for that.
