SEAL Team’s Max Thieriot reflects on the legacy of the series. Thieriot played Clay Spenser on the show for its first six seasons, appearing in over 100 episodes. Since then, SEAL Team has come to an end, reaching its series finale with season 7. In addition to his work on SEAL Team, Thieriot also worked with CBS on the series Fire Country, in which he played Bode Donovan. Fire Country season 3 is scheduled to premiere on October 18 and will air weekly episodes on Fridays from then on.
Speaking with Deadline, Thieriot reflects on the end of SEAL Team. The actor still keeps in touch with the cast and his fellow SEAL Team members to this day, but admits that “it’s tough to see it end.” Reflecting on the show itself, the actor notes that it was “a truly incredible experience” that “changed [his] career forever.” Regarding the content of SEAL Team, Thieriot reflected that “the show also had a huge impact” on him because of “working with all these veterans” and giving voice to their stories. Check out Thieriot’s full quote below: It’s hard to watch it end. It’s also hard to leave that show, it had such an amazing cast and crew and really, really great people. There was definitely a huge case of FOMO that I really felt, who are these people that I spent every day with, what are they doing?
The show was really an incredible experience, one because I got to know everyone at CBS Paramount and join the CBS Paramount family, and obviously, those relationships and friendships have taken me to where I am now, which has changed my career forever.
But, the show also had a huge impact on me. It was really a humbling experience to work with all these veterans and to tell stories that I think are really important and need to be told to support the military community. I think that show does an incredible job of bringing a lot of things to light and raising awareness for people, and being able to be a small part of that and tell some really impactful stories has changed my life.
My hope is that with Fire Country, we can continue to do the same for firefighters and first responders and focus on some stories about real struggles, about families and how families are impacted.
One of the most important aspects of SEAL Team for Thieriot seems to be the impact the series has had on his career. Although Thieriot has been acting since 2004, he was relatively unknown before 2017, as his career was limited to roles in smaller films like My Soul to Take, Yellow, Foreverland, and The Family Tree. Thieriot had a starring role in the television series Bates Motel, but his role as Clay on SEAL Team is by far the most prominent role of the actor’s career.
Building this relationship with CBS Paramount, Thieriot notes, played a major role in Thieriot’s rise in the industry. Not only did Thieriot act in both SEAL Team and Fire Country, but he also directed episodes of each show. Thieriot was able to continue his career on CBS with Fire Country, giving him more opportunities to solidify this relationship. Thieriot’s statement also makes it clear that Fire Country is meaningful to him, as he wants to “continue to do the same for firefighters and first responders” that SEAL Team did for veterans.
I think Thieriot’s lead role in Fire Country is a great example of his acting chops and his ability to lead a series. What’s even more exciting for the actor, however, is an upcoming spinoff series called Sheriff Country. Thieriot is taking a behind-the-scenes role on the series, serving as co-creator and executive producer. Thieriot has proven his staying power as an actor on major series like SEAL Team and Fire Country, so it will be interesting to see what he can do to continue the series with his deeper involvement in Sheriff Country.
