It’s not often that TV shows about first responders or military officers actually cast folks with real-life experience in those roles. It makes sense though, as actors can best convey the emotions necessary to carry a story and develop a character. But what if an actor actually had those experiences themselves? Taylor Sheridan does this with his character Travis Wheatley on Yellowstone (Sheridan himself was a cowboy before he was a filmmaker), proving that this is entirely possible. But before Sheridan showed up in a cowboy hat on Yellowstone, SEAL Team gained traction for casting a real-life Navy SEAL as a part of the show.
What Is ‘SEAL Team’ Really About?
Developed for television by Benjamin Cavell based on an idea brought to CBS by former Navy SEAL Mark Owen, the same man whose helmet lead star David Boreanaz sports in honor of the real SEALs they represent, SEAL Team details the lives of the members of Bravo Team, both on and off the battlefield. One of the most impressive parts of the CBS-turned-Paramount+ series is the show’s commitment to accurately portraying the complicated lives of the men and women who serve in the U.S. military — in particular, how the show deals with the hardship and trauma of combat, and how soldiers can bring that home with them.
“One thing that makes our show a little more interesting is the fact that it follows the family lives,” Owen explained in a SEAL Team special feature, himself an executive producer on the show. “As many friends as I’ve lost in combat, I’ve lost a lot to suicide and dealing with things when they get home. It takes a lot to sacrifice so much, and that’s really why I think this show does so well…” It’s these struggles that SEAL Team is committed to highlighting, and is part of the reason for Clay Spenser’s (Max Theriot‘s character) complex and heartbreaking arc in Season 6.
‘SEAL Team’s Mark Semos and Tyler Grey Are the Perfect Men for the Job
SEAL Team‘s commitment to authenticity shows itself in a variety of ways, one of them being hiring actual military veterans as cast members who can help navigate the subtleties of combat on set. One such cast member is Mark Semos, a former Navy SEAL who played John “TJ” Monero during the second season of the long-running series. Starting in Hollywood as a stuntman, Semos landed work as the stunt coordinator for the Peter Berg film Lone Survivor, which opened the door for a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “A few years later, I had the opportunity to work on the pilot episode of the TV show SEAL Team, the production brought me on as a Consulting Producer at first and now I am a Writing Producer on the show,” Semos told ATRG in 2020.
Serving behind the scenes as a writer and producer on the series, Semos helps guide the story of Bravo Team based on his own experience as a SEAL. He even returned to the screen in the Season 6 episode “Fair Winds and Following Seas” as Devgru OP #6, albeit briefly. “The authenticity level of SEAL Team is truly a team effort,” Semos later elaborated. “It starts in the writers room, and every single screenwriter works hard to maintain the standard and still tell the stories we need to tell. Then, on set, the effort continues with our directors and actors all striving to maintain the standards. Tyler Grey usually holds down the fort on set.
That other guy Semos mentions, Tyler Grey, is a former U.S. Army Delta Force operator and Army Ranger sniper who ended up finding his way to SEAL Team as well. Though not a former Navy SEAL, Grey has plenty of combat experience himself, and after being injured in the field, he was forced into a medical leave, leading him ultimately to Hollywood. “It completely changed who I thought I was,” Grey told Los Angeles’ CBS affiliate. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do in the industry, I just know I wanted to work in the industry.” Eventually, Grey moved on from being simply an advisor on the show to playing the recurring Bravo Team member Trent Sawyer, who has appeared in all six seasons. From there, he even graduated to the role of director with the Season 3 episode “Unbecoming an Officer.”
