Hunter McVey has established himself as the breakout star of Ryan Murphy’s latest hit, “9-1-1: Nashville.” However, the heartthrob never intended to be an actor. In fact, McVey had explored various other careers before landing the juicy role of Blue Bennings, he told EntertainmentNow.
Hunter McVey’s Career Before Acting
According to McVey, acting was never a career path he intended to pursue. “I had no inclining that I was ever gonna step into this realm,” he said. In fact, he “had a lot of different jobs out of college,” mostly in sales. McVey sold insurance, pain relief creams, and medical devices.
In the midst of his sales career, McVey also decided to pursue social media. “I told myself that if I posted every single day for a year, then I thought I’d be able to quit my full-time job and be my own boss. And it happened; I quit about seven months in,” he told EntertainmentNow.
Although McVey had enjoyed his previous jobs, he was excited to be in charge of his life and career. “I found a lot more enjoyment and genuine curiosity in the entrepreneurial side of things,” he said.
It was his social media career that ultimately led to the role of Blue Bennings on “9-1-1: Nashville,” albeit in a roundabout way. “I tried every single route of monetization on the social media end. I did hair care videos, fitness videos. I wrote e-books, recipe books. I did one-on-one coaching. I sold digital fitness products,” McVey said.
How Hunter McVey Landed a Life-Changing Role
ABCDue to his popularity on social media, McVey signed with an agent and secured various modeling jobs. The ABC star didn’t think of himself as an actor, but when he got the chance to audition for Murphy’s “American Love Story,” he took it. “I submitted the [audition] tape. The agency told me it was completely wrong. I was looking the wrong way. There were props involved. It was terrible, basically. But [I] sent it in anyway,” McVey said of his first acting attempt. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the role.
A month later, McVey’s life changed thanks to a different Murphy-created show. This one, the latest edition in the “9-1-1” franchise, was going to film in McVey’s home of Nashville. The social media star received a Zoom audition, then was flown out to Los Angeles for a callback. “That was a whirlwind, a lot of sweat-filled underarms,” McVey said of his experience.
McVey got the news on the flight home. He had gotten the job, and filming was to begin in six days. “I worked with an acting coach every day, about eight to 10 hours, until that first day of filming, to prepare. So it was definitely a chaotic time, had no time to really think, and just do,” he said.
Hunter McVey’s Role on ‘9-1-1: Nashville’
ABCMcVey plays Blue, an impulsive man who makes a stark career change and becomes a fire cadet after saving a woman’s life. However, unbeknownst to the rest of the firefighters, Blue’s intentions aren’t entirely pure.
“9-1-1: Nashville” airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
