Before Fire Country became one of CBS’s most-watched dramas, it lived only in the memories of Max Thieriot, who grew up in the fire-scarred landscapes of rural Northern California. “Every summer we watched the hills burn,” he recalls. “I saw how firefighters risked everything, and I also saw neighbors making mistakes that cost lives. Those images never left me.”
Thieriot not only plays Bode Donovan but also serves as co-creator, executive producer, and occasional writer, shaping a series that blends adrenaline-fueled action with the aching hope of second chances. “It’s a love letter to the people who fight these fires,” he says. “And to anyone who’s ever needed redemption.”
The workload is staggering—long shooting days in the forests outside Vancouver followed by late-night script sessions. Yet Thieriot remains fiercely committed to his family life. “I race home whenever I can,” he says. “Playing a man who’s trying to rebuild his relationships makes me value my own even more.”
Colleagues describe him as a “quiet force” on set. “Max will be covered in soot from a 14-hour shoot and still stay late to talk through dialogue with the writers,” notes showrunner Tony Phelan. “That’s the heartbeat of Fire Country.”
