BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Ahoy, matey!
Actor Daniel Roebuck has caused quite a ruckus aboard a cruise ship.
The Bethlehem-area native was a guest star on the season premiere of ABC's "9-1-1" that aired last week.
In the episode titled "Abandon Ships," Roebuck portrays Norman Peterson, a cruise passenger who is traveling with his wife, Lola (Romy Rosemont), and is mistaken for an international smuggler.
The follow-up episode, entitled "Rock the Boat," will reveal what happens to the couple. It airs at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 21, according to Rachel Villegas, senior publicist at Disney General Entertainment Content
Fans of the hit show, which was canceled by Fox Entertainment last May and moved to ABC that same month, may recognize the on-screen pair.
Roebuck and Rosemont first appeared on "9-1-1" in 2019.
In that appearance, a disgruntled Rosemont, angry at Roebuck and their failed marriage, climbs naked on top of a Los Angeles freeway in an attempt to get him to notice her. She is later taken into custody by Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Athena Nash (played by Oscar-winner Angela Bassett).
Dangerous waters
Flash forward five years later and the Petersons are reintroduced to Bassett and her onscreen husband, Peter Kraus (Bobby Nash), who are also aboard the ship that is headed toward the western coast of Mexico.
What follows is a series of run-ins onboard as the Petersons annoyingly try to bond with Athena and Bobby.
In the last scenes, Roebuck's Norman appears with scratches on his neck, raising suspicion from Athena.
As any good policewoman would do, she follows him around the boat and notices a bloody towel coming from the Petersons' stateroom.
With a tropical storm on the way, things get worse in the last scenes, when Roebuck, who is about to be taken into custody by Athena and the crew, enters the captain's bridge to announce that Lola was kidnapped by a gang.
In a promo shot, the follow-up episode shows violence and mayhem aboard the ship.
Part 2 airs at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 21.Rachel Villegas, senior publicist at Disney General Entertainment Content
It's unknown what happens to the Petersons, though both Roebuck and Rosemont will appear in the next episode.
Christmas movie
Roebuck was unavailable for comment but it's likely the actor who splits his time between Florida and California filmed the "9-1-1" episodes around the same time he began production for his own project, "Saint Nick of Bethlehem."
He announced the holiday project in a fall news conference by joking that he was filming a movie entitled, "Miracle in Winnipeg, Manitoba."
The cheeky comment was in response to Hallmark’s “Miracle in Bethlehem, PA," that was actually filmed in Canada.
In Roebuck's "Saint Nick" film, he plays the title character of Nick McNulty, who is saddened by the loss of his son but comes to terms with it after playing Santa Claus.
The flick, which began filming in November, started with scenes at the Snow Goose Gallery on Main Street and at ArtsQuest's Christkindlmarkt.
The film is slated to resume filming in the Lehigh Valley in the spring. A graduate of Bethlehem Catholic High School, Roebuck thrilled locals late last year with his third film shot on location in the Lehigh Valley with his production company Magic Bean Entertainment.
Roebuck and his wife, Tammy, run the nonprofit Channel for Peace, a Bethlehem-based organization they founded to produce and support films and other multi-media projects centered around faith and family.
