Why Captain Hart in 9-1-1: Nashville Looks Familiar: TVLine Traces Chris O’Donnell’s Career

From Early Roles to Breakthrough

O’Donnell began with a guest appearance on the ’80s comedy-drama “Jack and Mike” before moving into feature films. His debut came in 1990’s “Men Don’t Leave,” starring Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates.

The next year, he played Buddy Threadgoode in “Fried Green Tomatoes.” His breakthrough followed in 1992, when he portrayed Charlie Simms in “Scent of a Woman” opposite Al Pacino. The role earned O’Donnell a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor.

Film Roles and Robin

In 1993, O’Donnell played D’Artagnan in “The Three Musketeers,” alongside Kiefer Sutherland and Charlie Sheen. Two years later, he appeared as Dick Grayson, also known as Robin, in Joel Schumacher’s “Batman Forever,” with Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne. O’Donnell returned as Robin in 1997’s “Batman & Robin.” George Clooney took over the role of Batman in that film.

A Return to Television

By the mid-2000s, O’Donnell was taking on television roles again, including a guest appearance on “Two and a Half Men.” He later played veterinarian Dr. Finn Dandridge in a major “Grey’s Anatomy” storyline and appeared as Jack McCauliffe in the Cold War miniseries “The Company.” His biggest television role before “9-1-1: Nashville” was Special Agent in Charge Grisha “G” Callen on “NCIS: Los Angeles.” O’Donnell originated the character on “NCIS” and also appeared in “NCIS: Hawai’i.” His run as Callen lasted from 2009 to 2023.

Choosing Nashville After NCIS

O’Donnell said he had not planned to move directly into another network procedural after “NCIS: Los Angeles” ended in 2023. Ryan Murphy then contacted him about a “9-1-1” spin-off set in Nashville.

Speaking to TV Guide, O’Donnell described his 14 years on the Los Angeles series as a major gift and said the show began when he had five children in school. He added that his town had just burned to the ground, and that moving to Nashville sounded almost too good to be true. He said Rob Lowe, who appeared on “9-1-1: Lone Star,” also helped persuade him to take the role.