Ryan Guzman Says Being Cast On ‘9-1-1’ Was “Divine Intervention” After Mental Health Crisis: “It Happened At The Perfect Time In My Life”

Ahead of 9-1-1‘s Season 7 finale, actor Ryan Guzman is looking back at six seasons spent playing firefighter Eddie Diaz with immense gratitude.

“There’s been quite a few times where I’ve learned from Eddie, and I believe that this — this show has always been a blessing,” the 36-year-old actor told Decider via Zoom.

Guzman has opened up about his personal mental health struggles over the years, recently sharing on a May 21 episode of Tommy DiDario’s I’ve Never Said This Before podcast that he attempted to take his own life several years ago.

“About six and a half, seven years ago… I tried, at one point in time, to take my own life. Luckily it didn’t work. Luckily I got a second chance, by the grace of God,” Guzman said. “From that moment forward, I’ve taken each step as an opportunity to erase what got me there and build on what allowed me to live for.”

When catching up with Decider ahead of 9-1-1‘s highly-anticipated finale, Guzman explained that getting cast on the hit procedural and playing a character like Eddie — a macho first responder who’s unafraid to be vulnerable — helped him navigate his own life and grow as a person.

“The way I received the call to get to be on this show was divine intervention. And I think, as I’ve dove deeper into who Eddie is and explored Eddie, I have found a lot of myself,” Guzman told Decider. The actor went on to share that the timing of the casting news was crucial, as it came shortly after his “mental health crisis.”

“I think it happened at the perfect time in my life where I wanted — truth be told, the event happened right before getting 9-1-1, so there was a moment for me where I wanted something new. I needed to be some something new. Someone new. I needed to explore myself,” Guzman said. “That exploration allowed for a lot of awareness that I never had before. And coming into understanding Eddie, it was just a great sounding board of what can and can’t work.”

“There have been plenty of times where Eddie has helped me out. And it’s kind of crazy,” Guzman continued, revealing he and his 9-1-1 character have shared some parallel experiences over the years. “I actually just had this conversation with a co-star of mine Kenny [Choi], about a real-life moment that I had, that had already been filmed as Eddie. And I never thought that would happen. It’s weird. It’s very weird.”

On DiDario’s podcast, the actor — who also starred in Step Up: Revolution and Step Up: All In — said his suicide attempt and the death of his late friend, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, who died by suicide in December 2022 at age 40, were profoundly impactful in his life.

“That moment itself, in addition to what happened to my brother tWitch, are probably the two biggest fundamental moments of my entire life and have allowed me to have a deeper sense of mercy and empathy towards every individual,” Guzman explained. “So I would implore that all men renounce this fact of ‘You’re a tough man, you have to hold all this in,’ but lean on your brother. Really lean on your brother and if your brothers aren’t being there in the way they need to be, find some new ones.”

Back in 2020, Guzman opened up about depression when replying to a fan on social media. And earlier this year, the actor posted a video of him dancing alongside a touching tribute to his late friend Boss. In the caption, Guzman admitted he’s been “afraid to dance” since the two starred in the Step Up films together, but said that tWitch’s memory inspired him — not only to start dancing again, but to “connect deep” with loved ones.

When chatting about that Instagram post, Guzman also told Decider that a big dance scene may be in Eddie Diaz’s future.

“We joked about doing something this year, actually,” Guzman shared. “They were going to do something big this year. So maybe [next season].” Until then, buckle up for 9-1-1‘s Season 7 finale.

If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988, or visit 988lifeline.org.

9-1-1‘s Season 7 finale airs Thursday, May 30 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC with next-day streaming on Hulu.