Actor David Boreanaz is no stranger to leading a TV show, and he’s certainly played some very different leading roles over the years. After leading “Angel” as the romantic and semi-repentant vampire in Joss Whedon’s “Buffy the Vampire” spin-off series, he took on the role of FBI agent Seeley Booth in the hit Fox series “Bones.” But after “Bones,” he wanted to go in a different direction. Following the conclusion of “Bones,” he starred in the CBS military action drama “SEAL Team,” playing Jason Hayes, the commander of Special Warfare Task Force Bravo.
As Hayes, also known as Bravo 1, he had to lead his team in extremely dangerous and tense situations, such as rescuing hostages from terrorist organizations. The show tries to be accurate, with some military advisors involved to help maintain realism and provide small details that make the story more authentic, which seems quite different from the vampires in “Buffy” and “Angel” or even the sometimes extreme crime scenes in “Bones.” So what attracted Boreanaz to this project?
In an interview with Collider, the actor shared his reasons for joining “SEAL Team,” and it seems like he’s very much looking to pave his own path, and this show will give him that opportunity.
Boreanaz explained that while he wasn’t particularly impressed with Hayes’ character, it was actually a draw because it gave him more creative freedom:
“Honestly, I liked the idea that there was nothing there. I read the first episode and the character was just written so blandly. It was like, ‘This is a free canvas.’ I could pretty much do whatever I wanted to do, and that was fun. I could be creative. I could draw and make something out of it.”
Boreanaz had plenty of opportunities to develop his character throughout the seven seasons of “SEAL Team,” and he even directed eight episodes of the series, continuing to leave his mark. Another aspect that attracted him to the series was executive producer and director Christopher Chulack (“ER”), whose “passion” and “vision” encouraged him to sign on and work together. Not only that, he also said that he had a crucial conversation with a real soldier that convinced him to take the role. The funniest part, however, is that he initially turned down the role but when it was offered to him, he decided to give it a shot. Everyone regrets not taking a role all the time, but at least Boreanaz got a second chance at “SEAL Team.”
“SEAL Team” has had its ups and downs, moving from CBS to Paramount+ midway through its run, ending with season 7 in October 2024. Boreanaz opened up about some of the behind-the-scenes struggles in the interview, but noted that the cast and crew really made “SEAL Team” a worthwhile endeavor. He explained:
“Even though it’s tough at times, getting things done and getting the script right, there’s still a lot of fun in it because I love the crew and I love the actors. We create great dynamics while we’re filming. It’s like a family. These guys are a bunch of misfits and they do it so well. They’re unique. They’re not afraid to take risks. They’ll do anything for each other, and I love that.”
Since a real-life SEAL Team requires incredible teamwork, it makes sense that the cast and crew would have to develop a similar sense of teamwork. Over the course of seven seasons, the show has given Boreanaz and the rest of the team the opportunity to deliver a military drama with accuracy and sincerity. For fans who can’t get enough of the world of the US Navy SEALs, there are some pretty great Navy SEAL movies to fill the void that forms the “SEAL Team.”
