‘SEAL Team’ Cast Tells Jokes and Reveals Embarrassing Stories at SCAD aTVfest
The cast of CBS’ military drama “SEAL Team” attended SCAD aTVfest on Saturday, February 9, for a live screening of the show and a Q&A afterward. Star David Boreanaz was also the first recipient of the Maverick Award, celebrating his more than 20 years in the television industry. The Connector caught up with Boreanaz, Max Thieriot, Toni Trucks, and A.J. Buckley to discuss their careers, revealing some embarrassingly cute anecdotes along the way.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and tell us a little about your characters?
Boreanaz: I’m David Boreanaz. I play Jason Hayes on “SEAL Team.” I play a first-class agent who’s very conflicted at home. Working on a show is part of the work drama program, so it just so happens that these first-line employees. And I’m balancing my life with my brothers and trying to fit into life, which is difficult.
Thieriot: My name is Max Thieriot. I play Clay Spencer on “SEAL Team.” Clay is a new member of the team. He’s a little out of control at times. He makes some good decisions and some questionable decisions. He’s back. He’s back. He has a lot to learn, but he has a group of brothers around him that he’s really learned a lot from, and he’s grown as a person.
Trucks: I’m Toni Trucks. I play Petty Officer Lisa Davis, and I’m the logistics coordinator for the show… actually for the team, so I support the team technically and otherwise.
Buckley: I’m David Boreanaz, and I play Jason Hayes… . Okay, you get the idea. I’m A.J. Buckley, and I play Sonny Quinn.
How did you prepare for your military role?
Boreanaz: I think it depends on the role you’re taking on. Just do your best and be humble about it. Especially with roles like this, the people who help us along the way are veterans and they’re brothers. We become friends. They guide us through things like that.
Thieriot: We work closely with the military community. We hire a lot of veterans for the show. Some of our producers and crew are former Special Forces. So to maintain that authenticity, we work with those guys to make sure everything looks right. All the moves are right. We do a lot of gun training. We did a lot of things to get the gestures right to look authentic.
Trucks: I came into the show with no real experience. No one in my immediate family was in the military. I have a brother who was in the Coast Guard, but other than that, it was a learning process for me. I was excited to come in and tell stories that I don’t think really get told in this way on a regular basis.
Buckley: Honestly, it was a completely foreign world to me. I’d never really shot a gun before. And my character is from Texas. I carry all the big guns and I’m the best shooter in the group, so it was like a new and exciting world. I got to hang out with these [military] guys and get to understand that.
Honestly, it was frustrating. I mean, that still happens with some of the guns we shoot. But honestly, what blew my mind was we were on set, and they called ‘action’ and ‘cut’ and there were fake bullets flying. I don’t understand how these guys can go into battle, carry this 50-pound gun, shoot and get the job done. I could never do that.
Trucks: And you can’t call cut.
Buckley: There’s no cut. It’s like real people are dying all around you, and being able to stay calm and get the job done is something I could never do.
