SEAL Team star David Boreanaz has candidly shared why he is leaving the hugely popular show at the end of its upcoming seventh season.
“My body couldn’t take it anymore!” the 55-year-old actor admitted to People. He added that he and his co-stars “had no choice,” feeling that the main purpose of signing on to the show was to portray an elite military unit with the utmost authenticity.
During production on season six, Boreanaz was injured while filming an action scene that required him to carry a 250-pound actor on his back.
“I got ten feet into the shot and I hit a rock, twisted my ankle and fell. My ankle was swollen, but I had to keep going,” he recalled of the scene.
“You learn from the SEALs how to deal with pain—I mean guys who lose arms and tell jokes because that’s how they deal with pain. It’s intense.”
Boreanaz told the outlet that he wanted to leave the show while he was still at the peak of his career, rather than wait until it was too late.
“I take really good care of myself, but at some point, your body doesn’t move the same way,” he reflected. “I think I’ve had four MRIs in the last four months, my knee, my hip, my shoulder. It’s been a long journey.”
But the actor felt his sacrifice was worth it because he got feedback from real soldiers. “They thanked me for the real representation,” Boreanaz noted.
