Sumith Prasad
Liv Tyler’s Michelle Blake is a significant part of Owen Strand’s first Station 126 squad in FOX’s action series ‘9-1-1: Lone Star.’ As the paramedic Emergency Medical Services (EMS) captain, she cherishes a certain authority in the station along with Captain Strand. Michelle also searches for her sister Iris Blake, a drug addict who has been missing for a considerable while. She eventually finds her sister and the same changes her life forever as she resigns from the fire department to dedicate her life to the betterment of mentally ill and homeless people. Michelle’s decision paves the way for the exit of Liv Tyler from the show. If you are curious about the reason behind Tyler’s exit, here’s what we can share about the same! SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Reason Behind Michelle Blake’s Exit From 9-1-1: Lone Star
Liv Tyler left ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ due to traveling concerns that arose due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Tyler, who is settled in London with her partner and kids, used to travel back and forth to Los Angeles for the filming of the first season of the FOX procedural. When the Covid-19 pandemic was a challenge, Tyler wasn’t able to travel safely while maintaining schedules, especially in the wake of restrictions imposed on international travel. Commuting between London and Los Angeles with her kids, while mandatory quarantine was in place, might have been nearly impossible for Tyler, which led the actress to her exit from the show after its first season despite signing a multi-year contract to remain in the series.
“What a thrill it was having a movie star of Liv Tyler’s stature to help us launch the first season of 911: Lone Star,” co-creator Tim Minear said in a statement after Tyler’s exit. “We loved working with Liv and will be forever indebted to her for her haunting, powerful portrayal of Michelle Blake. While we were able to tell a complete chapter in Michelle’s story, as with Connie Britton on our mothership, we also feel like there are more stories to be told. The door here will always be open for a return,” he added. Tyler’s character Michelle wasn’t recast, possibly for her return to the show, which paved the way for the introduction of Gina Torres’ Tommy Vega.
Ever since Tyler’s exit, Minear has been vocal about the prospects of the actress’ return as Michelle. “I’ve talked to Liv about this [Tyler’s return],” Minear told TVLine. “I think there are really interesting stories to be told about a first responder who, as we put it in the first episode, gave up her occupation to pursue her vocation. I think that’s a very interesting story to tell. Just like my dream was to somehow get Abby to come back to 9-1-1 [after Connie Britton’s departure], my dream is to get Liv Tyler back on Lone Star,” he added.
Liv Tyler is Spending Time With Family Today
After exiting from ‘9-1-1: Lone Star,’ Liv Tyler has been spending her time prominently with her family which includes her partner David Gardner and their children Sailor Gene and Lula Rose. Tyler suffered from coronavirus disease during the early days of 2021 after testing positive on New Year’s Eve of 2020. It took around two weeks to test negative and reunite with her kids. “[…] I had made it all the way through 2020 keeping myself and my family safe. Doing everything I could to protect my wolf pack and follow the rules to protect others. Suddenly on The morn of the last day of 2020… boom it took me down. It comes on fast, like a locomotive,” she shared.
After leaving the FOX show, Tyler hasn’t appeared in any films or television shows. Her final film appearance is in James Gray’s Brad Pitt-starrer ‘Ad Astra,’ in which she plays Eve McBride, the wife of Pitt’s character U.S. Space Command Roy McBride. Along with her family, she also spends time with her friends, including Kate Hudson, with whom she appears in ‘Dr. T & the Women.’
Read More: Is 9-1-1: Lone Star Based on a True Story?
