Why did Peter Krause leave '9-1-1'? Tim Minear explains why '9-1-1' killed off Bobby Nash (2025)

9-1-1left fans in a state of emergency after the hit ABC seriesfinally killed off Peter Krause’s character, Captain Bobby Nash,who’d been a crucial fixture on the show for all eight seasons.

In wake of the devastating, show-altering episode, Deadline published a heartfelt letter from Krause in which the actor shared his affection for his character and thanked viewers and colleagues for the “wild ride.” Some felt the contents of the letter made it sound like it was Krause’s decision to part ways with the series. But others craved a more concrete explanation for Bobby’s death…

Wondering why did Peter Krause leave 9-1-1? Or why 9-1-1 killed Bobby off when — after so much trauma — his life finally seemed to be in such a good place with his wife Athena (Angela Bassett)?

In post-mortem interviews that followed the heartbreaking installment, 9-1-1 co-creator and showrunner Tim Minear explained the reasoning for Krause’s departure, the vision behind Bobby’s death, how the cast took the major news, and more.

Here’s what to know about why Peter Krause and Bobby Nash are leaving 9-1-1.

Why Did Peter Krause Leave ‘9-1-1’? Tim Minear Explains Why ‘9-1-1’ Killed Bobby Off

When asked if the decision to part ways with Bobby was financial or creative, Minear told Deadline the move was “100% creative.”

“Going into Season 9, I have all these perilous situations that I put the characters into, and I think maybe the writers but also the audience starts to get a little complacent because it’s like, well, we all know it’s going to all work out fine in the end,” Minear said. “I had been toying with the idea for a couple of seasons actually, maybe even longer, feeling like at some point I’m going to have to do this. And then once I came up with this idea for the lab leak episode, that’s when it solidified for me that it was time to do it, it felt like a real opportunity to give somebody an epic Wrath of Khan-like death. When it came down to deciding who should that be, I wanted it to be a character that affected all the characters’ stories in a very specific and yet different ways. There was only one man for the job, and it was Bobby.”

Minear went on to call the decision “wrenching for everybody” and stressed that he “adore[s] Peter” and thinks he’s “really the backbone of the show in so many ways.” Though he admitted the death was “terrifying,” he ultimately “knew that it would be so meaningful and have such repercussions and give me so much story for the show.”

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Minear reiterated that the desire to give the show higher stakes after avoiding core character deaths for eight seasons also factored into the big move.

“Ifelt like it just needed to happen. Otherwise, the next time I turn over a cruise ship, or land a plane on the freeway, or take a city out with a tsunami, you’re just going to be like, ‘Oh, everyone’s going to be fine.’ So it was time for there to be some real tragic fallout from a story,” Minear told THR. “Once I started thinking that somebody had to die, then the choice was, who? And the only choice that I thought made sense was Bobby. It makes sense for his character to have a tragic sacrifice as a conclusion of his entire journey in the show. And also, if there’s a character whose death is going to affect the most characters, who would that be? So, go big or go home.”

Did Peter Krause Want To Leave 9-1-1?

From the sounds of it, the decision to kill off Bobby was solely made by Minear, not Krause.

Back in 2024, Krause told TVGuide, “I could do another a hundred episodes if the hours are manageable!”

That said, Minear told Deadline that after he pitched Krause on the death, the actor got onboard. “Peter is a friend of mine. He understands the realities of the creative process, and he knew it wasn’t personal, he understood right away why I was telling him this,” the showrunner explained.

As noted above, following9-1-1Season 8, Episode 15,Deadline published a heartfelt letter from Krausein which the actor addressed his character’s departure from the series and thanked fans and colleagues for a wonderful lengthy run.

“I would like to thank Dana Walden, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear for entrusting me with such a complex character over these nine years. It has been my honor to portray Captain Bobby Nash,” Krause wrote. “In October 2017, through [Bobby Nash], we began tackling topics such as grief, guilt, anger and addiction while exploring his relationship with a higher power, forgiveness and grace. On his path of healing, we watched him join and embrace both his new family at the firehouse and his new family with Athena Grant where he found love and acceptance. We also had plenty of fun along the way. It was a joy.”

Krause also preemptively addressed predicted fan backlash, writing, “I’ve heard that many fans are upset by this loss and they have a right to be. It is a loss. That said, it was more than a bold creative choice on a bold show. Bobby Nash was written in sacrifice and he was built for this. First responders risk their lives on the job so that others can see another day. His story arc honors them. We at 9-1-1 salute all the incredible men and women who do these dangerous jobs and strive to keep us safe.”

How Did 9-1-1 Cast Members React To New Of Peter Krause’s Departure?

Fans of the show weren’t the one ones taken aback and crushed at the thought of 9-1-1 without Bobby Nash or Peter Krause. The cast was devastated and confused about the twist as well.

“They wereshocked. Peter and I had been talking about it for probably three weeks to a month before I let anyone else know. I had to clear it with the network and the studio. I had to pitch them out the whole story. Everyone was very nervous. And once I got everybody on board, I talked to [co-creator] Ryan Murphy about it, and once everybody was on board and Peter was on board, then I had to start calling the cast one by one,” Minear told THR. “Each of those calls was a little bit different, and none of them were quick because practically nobody believed me. They all thought I was punking them. Aisha Hinds — it probably took me 15 minutes to convince her that I was not joking… I know Kenny [Choi] just kept calling me, and he’s like, ‘Can’t his mother come back and bring him back to life with her faith healing skills?’ Everybody was kind of trying to bargain with God. In this case, I would be God, and I am a just God and I am a benevolent God — but he died.”

Angela Bassett told Deadline that she had no idea that something as major as a main character death was coming in Season 8 before she learned the news.

“Absolutely not. Not an inkling, not a word, not birdies, nothing. This is near the end of the season. Sometimes near the end of the season, we’re in this race against time to get our scripts, you’re really getting it in real time. It’s like get it today, and we’re going to start filming it tomorrow,” Bassett explained. “So it was really a jaw-dropping moment when I read the script and saw that… I remember Tim called. He said, someone’s going to pass away. I said, Is itme? Self-preservation, you know. I went through the list, you start with yourself, but I was very surprised that it was my husband.”

Aside from Bassett, 9-1-1 cast members including Oliver Stark, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kenneth Choi, and more posted touching tributes to Krause on social media and fans continue to mourn the 118’s loss.

Is Bobby Nash Really Dead? Or Will Peter Krause Return To 9-1-1?

9-1-1 is famous for bringing characters back from the dead — be it via doppelgänger, flashback, dream sequence, hallucination, or coma appearance. So is this the last fans have seen of Krause on the series?

“What I would say is that Episode 15 is not Peter Krause’s last appearance this season,” Minear told The Hollywood Reporter. For those wondering if Bobby is still alive, however, Minear told TVInsider, “…You’re going to see him before the end of the season…I don’t want to mislead anyone. He’s dead.”

For more on Krause’s final9-1-1episode, be sure to readDecider’s Season 8, Episode 15 recap. Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to mark your calendars for Episode 8×16 on Thursday, May 1.

New episodes of9-1-1premiere Thursdays on ABC with next-day streaming on Hulu.