Max Thieriot, known for his role in “Fire Country,” recently appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden to discuss the inspiration behind the hit show. Thieriot revealed that the idea for the show came to him while driving to work with his friend AJ Buckley from Seal Team. They were discussing firefighting, a topic that hit close to home for Thieriot as he grew up in a small town in northern California with a strong firefighting community. Thieriot’s friends were part of the local department, and their stories inspired him to create a show centered around firefighting.
As Thieriot delved deeper into the firefighting world, he discovered the inmate firefighter program, which was relatively unknown to many at the time. This program involves inmates working alongside regular firefighters to fight fires. The concept fascinated Thieriot, and he started building out the world for his show, drawing inspiration from his small country town and the people he grew up with, including the fire chief.
However, Thieriot admitted that he had no idea how to pitch a show initially. Nevertheless, he was determined to bring his vision to life. He gathered pictures of his friends, even resorting to Facebook pages to find images of the non-social media-savvy firefighters. Thieriot created a sizzle reel and wrote a comprehensive document about the show, continuously seeking feedback from his agents. After a lengthy process, his efforts paid off, and “Fire Country” became an absolute smash.
During the interview, Corden couldn’t resist asking Thieriot about his personal experiences with fire. Thieriot shared a hilarious incident involving a candle bomb he unintentionally created in his apartment. He had left the candle burning all night, and when he woke up, he noticed the flame had extended far beyond the rim of the candle. Thinking quickly, he grabbed a coffee mug and threw its contents onto the flame, which resulted in a massive ball of fire erupting. Although he managed to extinguish the fire, his apartment suffered some damage.
Reggie, the sidekick on The Late Late Show, also posed an unusual hypothetical question to Thieriot. He asked what Thieriot would do if being chased by intelligent critters driving vehicles and the only escape was to jump over a creek Dukes of Hazard style. Thieriot humorously responded that he would plant a stone on the gas pedal, climb onto the hood of the car, and jump off when the car reached its peak on the jump. He would then yell, “Yeehaw, take that raccoons!” as he landed on the other side.
Max Thieriot‘s appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden was filled with laughter and intriguing insights into the inspiration behind “Fire Country.” It’s no wonder the show has become a fan favorite, capturing the excitement and camaraderie of the firefighting world. With Thieriot’s personal connection to the subject matter and his talent as both a creator and actor, “Fire Country” promises to keep audiences entertained.
