Fire Country is coming back for Season 5, and star Michael Trucco spoke to PopCulture.com about how it feels.
Trucco recurs on the CBS drama as Cal Fire Assistant Chief Luke Leone, uncle to Max Thieriot’s Bode Leone and brother of Billy Burke’s late Vince Leone.
Luke made his debut in the first season, and while he only made occasional appearances in the first three seasons, he’s been popping up a lot more lately following Vince’s death in the Season 4 premiere. Even so, Trucco admitted he’s come across fans “more often than not” when he travels, which is a lot.
“I’ve been working on a lot of stuff, and I’m in airports. Man, people stop me in airports all the time. ‘Hey. Stay away from your brother’s wife. You’re gonna hurt her.’ ‘Hey. What’s going on with Bode?’ It’s just amazing how many people make that connection,” he said. “And that’s when I realized the scope of the show and the reach that it has. And especially in places like airports, you’re seeing people from all over the country and all over the world.”
“It’s a dream come true. It’s a gift,” Trucco continued. “I came out in Season 1. I still consider myself just sort of a guest here. I’m that lazy houseguest that hasn’t gone home. Like, ‘Hey. You said you were gonna stay for a couple of days. You might wanna get your own place?’ I’m like, ‘Still here. Great.’ And so I count every time they call me in for another episode. It’s just a gift. I’m really fortunate. Really proud to be a part of it. It’s something that really hit the zeitgeist. It hit the ground running when it came out before Season 1. And then it gets picked up for Season 5. It has a successful spinoff. That’s something to be a part of.”
Trucco went on to explain that something like that “doesn’t get to happen too often in television” since it’s “a volatile business,” especially these days. “There are thousands and thousands and thousands of television shows, which is great. But for any one of those to rise above the bin, for any of them, any oxygen at all, is so hard nowadays,” he said. “It’s so hard for a show to get on the radar. When you see the success of Fire Country, that’s a brand that people know. It’s a brand, it’s a title that they know. When people stop me, I’m like, ‘Really?’ So then you know they’re really watching it because they recognize me. They’re definitely watching.”
Of course, Michael Trucco has a number of notable credits under his belt, aside from Fire Country, such as Battlestar Galactica, How I Met Your Mother, Disjointed, One Tree Hill, Beverly Hills, 90210, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Revenge, and many, many more. So getting recognized for Fire Country, when he hasn’t appeared in that many episodes, is just one indication of how big it is. And he couldn’t be more grateful.
“It’s been just a gift, and I couldn’t be prouder of it. And so happy, and I hope I get to continue moving forward,” Trucco expressed. “I don’t ever ask these questions; these are decisions that are made above my pay grade. I’d like to think that Luke still has some viability in this storyline in the show. And I’m more than amenable to it if you want to come talk.”
While it’s unclear if Luke will be back for Season 5, unless anything happens between now and then, there’s a good chance. Ever since Vince’s death, Luke has been playing a pivotal role for the Leone family as he serves as the Cal Fire Assistant Chief. His evolution and redemption are only just beginning, and there is likely to be much more to come for him. For now, fans will be able to look forward to the rest of Season 4 of Fire Country, airing on Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, following Sheriff Country. Season 5 of Fire Country will be coming soon.