John Harlan Kim was not ousted from the main cast for any nefarious reason. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Showrunner Tim Minear spoke with TV Insider in September 2021, who brought up Albert's absence. "Albert is on Nancy Drew," Tim said, laughing. "Albert passed his LAFD training and he’s in a different house, and we will be checking in with him very shortly."
Article continues below advertisement
John was demoted in 9-1-1 for two possible reasons. First of all, when Nancy Drew was picked up for a fourth season, it seemed like John could have some scheduling conflicts moving forward. However, it's not just Nancy Drew that diverted John's attention. Since joining the cast of 9-1-1, he also landed a recurring role in The Last Thing He Told Me.
Plus, in February 2022, Variety reported that John would be joining the cast of an L.A. Law reboot, along with previously announced returning cast members Blair Underwood and Corbin Bernsen. So John will return to our screens regardless, even if something does happen to Albert on 9-1-1.
9-1-1 airs every Monday at 8 p.m. EST on FOX.
