Is Paul Strickland Leaving '9-1-1: Lone Star'? Here's What Brian Michael Smith Has to Say

Paul Strickland's recent medical emergency on 9-1-1: Lone Star is stirring up a lot of questions for fans of the show. Now that Paul’s health is seriously on the line, is his character still going to be part of the show?

The actor behind the role is Brian Michael Smith. He has a lot to say about the character he plays on the show and what’s to come next. Here’s an update for diehard fans of 9-1-1: Lone Star.

In Season 3, Episode 9 of 9-1-1: Lone Star, Marjan Marwani has a serious conversation with Paul about his health. After he wakes up from a nightmare, she discovers his heart is racing out of control. Eventually, he gets diagnosed with a rare heart condition called Brugada syndrome. Paul is in denial about what’s going on inside his body so he refuses to get an internal defibrillator inserted.

When he has a sudden heart attack, Marjan allows doctors to follow through with the defibrillator procedure — even though it’s against Paul’s wishes. Unfortunately for Marjan, this decision puts her friendship with Paul on the line. She did what she thought was best for him, knowing it could cause strife.

It's true that Paul is dealing with a lot of serious issues in regards to his heart, but for now, he is still fully part of the show. There are no plans for him to be written out or killed off.

Brian spoke candidly about Paul's situation with TV Insider. When asked about what’s coming up next for Paul, Brian responded saying, “Everybody views [Paul] as very strong and very capable and knows how close to death he was. We saw a little bit of that in how strong their brotherhood was when Paul was trapped in the building collapse and they really expressed, as clearly as ever, how much they love each other."

He continued, "We’re going to see in the following episode what Paul being 'out' feels like for them, what they miss about him and how they show up for him when they can, which is beautiful.” Based on what Brian has to say, there’s a lot to look forward to with Paul’s character. He is definitely someone his coworkers and colleagues care deeply about.

Knowing that other characters in the show view him as strong and capable is a major indication that it's safe to have a lot of hope that his health situation will improve.

When asked about Paul’s next career move, Brian said, “He’s trying to navigate what this new chapter in his life is going to look like now that he’s on the mend. What’s interesting to play is facing your own mortality or facing your own limitations." Brian knows Paul has a lot to take into account with his career now that he’s faced a life or death situation.

New episodes of 9-1-1: Lone Star air Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on Fox.