The True, Heartbreaking Meaning Behind David Boreanaz’s ‘SEAL Team’ Helmet
Having aired for six seasons, first on CBS and then Paramount+, SEAL Team is one of those shows that defies all odds and keeps going no matter how tough things get. Centered on Bravo Team, the series follows an elite group of US Navy SEALs led by Special Warfare Command Officer Jason Hayes, played by veteran TV actor David Boreanaz, who you might recognize from Angel and Bones. The series will conclude with its final seventh season airing in August 2024. But before we say goodbye, let’s go back to basics. Did you notice anything unique about Hayes’ helmet on the show?
Unlike many of the props worn by members of the SEAL Team cast, the helmet on Boreanaz’s head is a legitimate military issue meant to honor the real-life heroes he represents on screen. Having played some pretty big-name TV characters throughout his career, Boreanaz has made it clear that his work on SEAL Team is his most personal. “[Jason Hayes] is really important to me,” the actor told Parade in 2019. “When I play him, I feel more in tune with a character than I ever have before.” But there’s more to the helmet’s history than its authenticity.
David Boreanaz wears a real SEAL helmet to honor real-life heroes It turns out that the helmet Hayes wore on SEAL Team actually belonged to a real-life SEAL who went by the pseudonym Mark Owen. Owen, an executive producer on the series, was the first to pitch the idea to the network. In addition, Owen has served overseas, notably in the Middle East, where he participated in the assassination of Osama bin Laden. In fact, after his military experience, he wrote No Easy Day, a memoir published in 2012 about his 14-year career as a Navy SEAL and specifically his role in bin Laden’s death. “I wore his helmet. I could have worn a lighter [prop] helmet, but I decided to wear his actual helmet in his honor,” Boreanaz explained of wearing Owen’s helmet. “And I’ll do that throughout the entire series.” Since SEAL Team has been on the air since 2017, David Boreanaz’s commitment to showcasing and honoring the veterans he represents is commendable.
While SEAL Team wasn’t the first series about Navy SEALs to air on television in the late 2010s (the first was History Channel’s Six), it is the most successful. The show not only helps share the experiences and stories of these men and women in the line of duty, but also highlights the deep emotions and conflicts that soldiers face when they return home.
