Originally Posted: February 7, 2021   |   By: Lily Templeton   |   Behind the Blinds

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Ever since he first discovered the thrill of the stage in his junior year of high school (thank you, unnamed guidance counselor who encouraged him to try!), Ronen Rubinstein has been lighting up the characters he portrays with a cocktail of passion, enthusiasm, and humility. Oh, and the smoldering good looks don’t hurt, either, especially in his role as T.K. Strand in 9-1-1: Lone Star.

Behind the Blinds catches up with TV’s hottest firefighter (sorry Rob Lowe) between shifts for a chat.

If your house was on fire, what’s the one thing you’d grab? All living creatures big and small being safe, of course.

What would I grab… Oh my god. That’s something I’ve never been asked before!

Seriously? You’re on a show about firemen!

No, really, you’re the first one. Ok, but not to sound like a hero or anything, but I’d just make sure the living creatures were out. Everything else is replaceable. But I would really hope I had insurance!

What are you up to on your day off, other than talking to strangers on the phone?

You know, I’m used to it at this point. Whenever I get a day off, I take it easy to recover because our jobs are demanding physically. I try to take care of myself – sleep if I can, drink lots of water, eat something good for me. And then just focusing on not doing much, just laying out in the back yard or watching [movies].

Isn’t that the hardest task you’ve ever had?

It is! I have a hard time sitting around, so I really have to focus on just doing nothing. But I know I need to do it.

What’s it like being T.K. Strand? Was it one of those roles that you have to think about picking up?

How could I not accept the role? It’s like winning the lottery, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with a TV show that is so gigantic, so epic. You’re almost guaranteed a massive audience, thanks to who is making the show and the network it’s on. One of the beautiful sides of T.K. is the family aspect. He’s a very relatable character, someone who wears his heart on his sleeve, loves his job, and puts his family before anything. So, a lot of people have connected to him as a family member – a brother, a son or even (chuckles.) a prospective boyfriend – because he’s a really good kid.

Does the TV format factor in this connection?

Being allowed into the living room of our viewers creates this very intimate relationship, where you go through the experiences [that T.K. is living] together. That’s what special about TV. With movies, you go to a movie theatre with strangers and then you leave. For a series, you get cozy and you let these characters enter your life. So how can you say no to someone like T.K.?

So who are you letting into your living room?

There’s “The Little Things” on HBO with Denzel Washington. And then catching up with all the Oscar-nominated movies of this year. Music-wise, it’ll be cycling through old favorites, like Kings of Leon and Frank Ocean.

Which one will it be today?

It’s really sunny so it’s a Frank Ocean kind of day, where I’ll probably lay by the pool and relax.

Sunny day, lucky you! It’s a miserable rainy evening here in Paris.

Well, I’d gladly trade places with you. I would love to see [a place] outside of American right now. You know what, it’s funny because I’ve been invited to a convention in Paris in June. I’m really hoping it happens because it’ll be my first trip there as an adult. The one time I went, I was about 6 years old. We went to Disneyland Paris and the Eiffel Tower, but beyond that, it’s very minimal flashes of memories. What I do know is that it’s a magical place and I think I’d lose myself there for sure.

Anywhere else?

Portofino! Por. To. Fi. No. (Wistful sigh.)

How very Alexei-the-Russian-oligarch of you, Ronen.

(Laughs.) More like Roman Emperor. I’m obsessed with Europe. Italy, France and Portugal are my favorite places in the world right now. But when I visited Portofino a few years ago… Have you ever had that feeling where you feel at home in a place you’d never been to before? In my mind and body, Portofino felt very right. It might be because it’s by the sea and I’m a big ocean person. But there’s also the culture and history. So I’m putting it out there as much as I can, so that it may happen one day: I’d love a little house where I can look at the ocean, drink my coffee and then walk down to the stores. Maybe learn some Italian. Just a beautiful, simple life.