Elijah M. Cooper reflects on meaningful moment with Angela Bassett

Elijah M. Cooper has weighed in on an emotional scene with Angela Bassett.

In a new chat with PEOPLE Magazine, Elijah M. Cooper opened up about his character's pivotal 9-1-1 moment, which saw Athena Grant, played by Angela Bassett, pin Harry Grant's badge on his uniform following the completion of his training.

Reflecting on filming the emotional scene alongside his on-screen mother, Cooper described the experience as deeply meaningful.

“That was a really awesome moment,” he shared. 

“You know what? I know it's a show, but it really made me think of my past three seasons here and everything coming together and my journey of meeting her on my first episode, really meeting everyone and just figuring out this whole journey and getting to this point.”

The actor admitted the moment felt both surreal and rewarding.

“I feel like it was a joyous moment,” he continued. 

“It was a moment where I was like, ‘Wow, this is really happening. This is a real smile. I'm really excited to start in this.’”

Cooper also praised Bassett’s presence on set, noting the comfort she brought from the very beginning.

“Literally from day one, she just had this really warm energy about her,” he said.

Concluding on a heartfelt note, Cooper added, “She had this mom type vibe. I felt good. I felt safe. I felt comforted with her.”