9-1-1 star Aisha Hinds was totally up for the challenge of making her directorial debut on season 8 the show — but being in control behind the camera definitely came with its own anxieties. “I was nervous to film the entire thing,” Hinds, 49, exclusively told Us Weekly with a laugh. “Only because I just didn’t have a gauge.
I didn’t have a sense of what it was that I didn’t know, because I had never done it before. So while everyone was very supportive and encouraging in telling me, ‘You know more than you think,’ I didn’t know exactly how those things would manifest and where the application of the things that I know would be best used in service.” Hinds climbed into the director’s chair for the first time for episode 11 of season 8, titled “Holy Mother of God,” which aired on Thursday, March 20.
The hour predominantly introduced Captain Bobby Nash’s ( Peter Krause ) estranged mother, Ann ( Lesley Ann Warren ), onto the series, detailing the pair’s tumultuous relationship and past. While the story line was a hefty one for any first time director to take on, Hinds said the prep process was extremely helpful in giving her some much needed confidence and “encouragement.” Related: Oliver Stark: Eddie Struggles to ‘Deal With Emotions’ After Buck’s Accident “I got to shadow a couple of different people to kind of see their entry points and how they approach story,” she explained.
“And each and every one of them drove home the concept.