Missy Peregrym and Zeeko Zaki know fans want to see FBI’s Maggie Bell and Omar Adom “OA” Zidan spark up a romance — but are they on board?
“I write an email once an episode that it’s time,” Zaki, who plays OA, joked earlier this month while promoting season 8 of the CBS series, which premieres on Monday, October 13. “I can’t handle [it anymore].”
Peregrym, who plays OA’s longtime FBI partner Maggie, exclusively told Us Weekly in the same October 6 joint interview that she’s not as sure their characters should cross that line.
“We know that the fans would really love that, and they’ve said so. I love that they want that because that means that we’re showing and demonstrating a partnership that’s worth seeing that,” Peregrym, 43, explained. “But that’s also why I love that we’re not that.”
The actress noted that “ultimately it’s not up to us” because the writers determine those story lines. Peregrym, however, is OK with playing partners for eight seasons — and being platonic for now.
“It’s a different type of intimacy. We just know each other so well. We know what the other person needs. We know how to have their back,” she said. “And that’s really great to play. I love that.”
Zaki, 35, teased, “Maybe a good title for this could be ‘Maggie friend zones OA in season eight,’” adding that it shows his “eagerness” to become romantic, but Peregrym’s hesitation.
Zeeko Zaki and Missy Peregrym on ‘FBI.’ Bennett Raglin/CBS
Peregrym revealed that although Maggie and OA haven’t become romantically involved, the writers almost took it to that level during season 7.
“Remember the episode where I get blown up, basically, and smacked against a wall? And he has to revive me? Originally it was mouth to mouth,” she told Us of the season 7, episode 20, moment where Maggie got knocked out following a drone explosion and OA was the only one who could help save her life.
Peregrym recalled “laughing” and thinking, “‘How on earth are we gonna pull this off?’ I’m gonna laugh my head off. He’s gonna laugh. It’s not gonna work.”
The moment, however, didn’t happen for multiple reasons, one of which was that protocol says you don’t have to actually touch mouths for a scene like that.
“It was just funny that they wrote that. I was like, ‘The fans are gonna freak out right now that our mouths are touching,’” Peregrym remembered.
Zaki completely agreed, joking, “They would’ve needed CPR.”
While Zaki likes the idea of giving into what the fans want between OA and Maggie, his character is still happily in a relationship with Gemma (Comfort Clinton) this season.
“We’ll definitely see her again,” he told Us of his on-screen love interest, noting, “The first few episodes have been pretty team focused, but we’re doing good.”
He played coy about what OA and Gemma have been up to, joking, “We went to a farmer’s market this last weekend, but it wasn’t filmed. We do Home Depot, just the normal, you know, couple stuff on the weekend. We’ll see where it goes.”
Peregrym, meanwhile, confirmed Maggie is single to start season 8 but that is totally fine.
“This year, we are focusing more on partnership, and also I have a mentor, and that’s something that we got to explore, which I loved,” she shared. “I love that dynamic of being able to learn from someone who’s my hero, basically, and I grew up kind of reading his books, and so yeah, that’s a really cool story line.”
