- 5 hours ago
"That's an honor to be able to get recognition from the guys that were flying planes in World War II, or fighting the battle front for us, so that’s pretty big," Boreanaz said on the 'SEAL Team' feedback he’s received from war veterans.
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00:00Hi, I'm David Boreanaz, and I'm in studio with The Hollywood Reporter.
00:06Before we jump in, I wanted to give a shout-out to Ithaca College, where we both graduated from.
00:12School of Communications.
00:13Look, we made it. I think so. I don't know.
00:15You think we made it?
00:15We survived the winter's falls and springs.
00:17We're sitting on weird chairs.
00:18Hollywood Reporter Studio. I like it. All those cold winters.
00:22Now, I want to bring it back to Ithaca for a moment.
00:24What motivated you to kind of stick it out and break through?
00:28Well, I mean, when I graduated, I had, you know, hopes and aspirations of, I think, for me, was, you
00:34know, getting into the acting world.
00:35And I had a conversation with my dad, and it was, where do you go to New York? Do you
00:39go to California?
00:40At the time, I had two sisters that were living out there, so I decided to go to California.
00:45And I thought about that decision and, you know, headed out to California, drove with my dad across country.
00:54We took two weeks on the road together, and we had a great father and son drive.
01:00And, you know, but I think, for me, it really was just the passion for, you know, the arts and
01:07for cinema and for, you know, acting and producing, directing.
01:11You know, you're exposed to that at college, and when you get through your years there, especially at Ithaca, which
01:16was so great,
01:17you get to experience a little bit of that, not in the grand scope of what California offers in Hollywood.
01:25It was much different, I think, back then, in 91.
01:27So, for me, it was just a personal discovery of what my passion was, and that's how I kind of
01:35tapped into it and headed out to California.
01:38And stick it out is basically your advice, kind of?
01:40I mean, I think sticking it out really is being patient and being smart about, you know, the details that
01:46are behind it.
01:47It's, you know, you hear, yeah, I'm going to be an actor just like you, or a director.
01:52You know, I was like, hey, I'm going to be the next Martin Scorsese.
01:54And it's like, you know, well, there's a lot of work behind that.
01:57That's the details of, you know, how you take care of yourself, your body, your instrument,
02:04how you study, what you do, you know, your mind and your physical makeup.
02:09You know, there's so much detailed consistency to it.
02:12It's not just like, hey, you just show up and, you know, throw yourself out there.
02:17And I think sticking it out really is a testimony to what your passion is, whatever that may be.
02:23Now, jumping back to when you first signed on for SEAL Team, it's after Bones.
02:27It's kind of this what's next moment.
02:29What stood out to you about SEAL Team?
02:30And as your next project?
02:34I think that the whole what's next project to me really kind of is really what I'm going to do
02:43when I wake up.
02:44I don't know what's going to present to me.
02:45I don't search things out.
02:47They kind of let things kind of come to me as they should.
02:50And I think I believe that things come to you in life when it's meant to come to you.
02:55It's how you're prepared for that and how you kind of take on that opportunity
03:00will be dependent on how far you go with it.
03:03There are certain things that come to you early on in your drive or whatever it may be,
03:07and you're not ready for that.
03:08And it's not that you fail, but you learn.
03:11And through those learning experiences, you grow.
03:14So when the next time that opportunity presents itself, you're ready for it.
03:17But with SEAL Team, it was one of those things that was presented to me.
03:22But it was more about directing.
03:24It was a talk with Chris Chulak and had a great meal.
03:27And I knew they had this project.
03:29It's always great when you have a good meal.
03:30Oh, yeah.
03:31I mean, sure.
03:32Wine and meal is good to go.
03:33It works hand in hand.
03:34So, I mean, that just kind of came to fruition.
03:37And then we just ended up where he was working on SEAL Team.
03:42And then two weeks, I think a week later, they presented the offer to me to play Jason Hayes.
03:47And I didn't do it because of geography, location, and I didn't want to shoot in New Orleans,
03:52take my family there.
03:53And I passed on it.
03:54And they went to Jim Caviezel.
03:56And then they had some problems with that.
03:58And then they came back to me.
03:59So, the project kind of revolved back into my life.
04:02And there was a meaning for that.
04:03And so, I took it on.
04:06What set out about Jason specifically when you first read him?
04:09There was nothing there.
04:10I mean, really, honestly, when I first read this pilot script, it really wasn't,
04:14there was not much there in the dialogue.
04:17You know, Ivana Chubik, who I work with, who I've been with for at least 19 years,
04:22I go through her as my, I would say, my confident person, spirit guide,
04:29acting coach who can look at a script and help me with certain things.
04:33And she was like, you know, you shouldn't do this.
04:35I don't think it's ready for you.
04:38It's right for you.
04:39I think a part of you just wants to get out of California and go shoot in New Orleans
04:42and shoot a pilot, which is kind of true, but at the same time, really wasn't.
04:47So, there really wasn't there.
04:48I had to put things in there.
04:49So, I had, I think, less than 24 hours to get down there because they were in the
04:52middle of shooting.
04:53So, I had to work with her for extensive hours, like cramming for a final,
04:58just to get all my subtext in and work on that character.
05:00So, he's still evolving.
05:02For you, you have such an interesting and rare career where you've really been
05:05with your characters for years, and not a lot of actors can say that.
05:09It's not just luck, right?
05:11Is it luck, or is it, what is it about you choosing your roles that kind of makes that happen?
05:15Well, you just, like, again, like I said, it's not like searching that out.
05:19It kind of comes to you, and, you know, you put out to the universe what your kind of
05:24intentions are, and not to be so ethereal about it, but, you know, I have a very strong
05:29spiritual background, so I maintain that energy to what I want to get to or where I want to
05:38be in my life, whether that's in acting or directing or producing.
05:40So, you surround yourself with good people, and you find yourself in there, and, again,
05:46the opportunity was there, and I kind of, it wasn't really necessarily the type of character.
05:52I just like the fact that Jason Hayes, well, you know, look, everyone says, well, you're
05:57on a show for so long.
05:58Are you afraid about being typecast?
06:00Are you scared about, you know, for me, it was, oh, even on Bones, it was, you know,
06:05we worked with Ivana, I worked on every weekend for eight, nine years on weekends, and rewrote
06:13the scenes, and presented these ideas, and worked them in the scenes, and excited the
06:19writers.
06:19That was my job, so you constantly have to keep working it, you know what I mean?
06:24For me, I never settle on it, so I guess that helps with the longevity of pieces that I'm
06:29in, so I enjoy that, you know?
06:32I don't just, hey, I got the role, and just sit back and...
06:34That'd be strange if you did that.
06:36Yeah, that would be soul-crushing.
06:39I wouldn't like that.
06:40There's such an appetite, there's such a fan base for a SEAL team.
06:44Why do you think there's such an appetite for this show right now?
06:46I think that it is really gearing more towards the character drive than it did in the first
06:52season.
06:52I mean, I took Jason Hayes and drove him, and drove his character.
06:55I like to get behind the characters and let them drive the story.
06:59Obviously, we have all the explosions and the military environment, but later in there,
07:04there's such complex characters that really need to learn how to deal with life when they're
07:10not doing their job.
07:11And it presents itself in a very conflicting kind of manner with these characters.
07:17That's what I love about Jason so much.
07:19He's compartmentalized.
07:20He's a single dad now.
07:21He's trying to keep things...
07:23He can't even deal with the home life, and now he's got to go off to a mission or, you
07:28know, to an operation, and that's life and death.
07:31I mean, you're protecting, taking out the worst people in the world.
07:35So I think that the identification of the characters now are really starting to come
07:39to the spear, to the point of that spear, and it's going to be fun to see how this season
07:43ends and goes into the next, and it's a very exciting time for the show.
07:47So what people really like about the show is kind of how real it is and what you guys
07:51get right about it.
07:52And you obviously work closely with veterans.
07:54How important is that in kind of telling these stories and making sure you're getting it right?
07:57Yeah, it's really important.
07:58I mean, we consider...
08:00It's not...
08:01They're not technical advisors.
08:02They are producers.
08:03They are writers.
08:04They're on the floor shooting, you know?
08:07And our guys, we get it right.
08:09We take time in the scenes to do it right.
08:11We shoot it very raw.
08:12It's very real.
08:14There's very little rehearsal time.
08:17Jimmy Muro, who's the DP, is a legend camera operator.
08:21He knows how to shoot.
08:23We're blessed with that heart, that camera department that kind of pumps the show and
08:28brings life to the actors.
08:30You know, they come on our set and they're like, well, I'm going to rehearse.
08:32No, the camera's going in your face and we're going to shoot this take.
08:36So you're done.
08:36Yeah, and it's kind of similar to where Chris came from, Chulak, from ER, and that was his
08:43show and, you know, Southland.
08:46So it's very raw.
08:47It's very real.
08:48And we pride ourselves in getting it right.
08:50And if it takes a little bit longer, yeah, but we shoot very fast.
08:53For fans of the show who maybe this was a mirror of their life, has there been any feedback
08:58you've received from a fan of the show that has really stuck out to you?
09:00And what was that?
09:01Well, you know, when I travel outside and I go back east or I'm in Connecticut and you're
09:09just going to get a cup of coffee at a local place, whether that's in Danbury or, you
09:14know, they don't have Dunkin' Donuts, you know, because they're small little towns in
09:18Kent.
09:18There's like 17 Dunkin' Donuts.
09:19Yeah, like in Kent, it's like it's, well, they just don't allow those big, you know,
09:23corporations to come in there.
09:24And you go to the small place and they got like the best breakfast sandwiches and cup
09:28of coffee.
09:29And you see three veterans to your left that, you know, they're elder, they're older and
09:34they come up to you and they're like, you know, we really love your show.
09:37And I was like, that's an honor to be able to get recognition from the guys that were
09:41flying planes in World War II, you know, or fighting the battlefront for us.
09:48So that's pretty big, you know.
09:49That's incredible.
09:51For season two, where did you guys want to see the story go and kind of evolving the
09:55stories more?
09:55You know, well, you know, we looked at it as, you know, the pack of, you know, the wolf
10:02pack and how they operate together, right?
10:04And what the, how they get kind of dismantled in Bravo Team, how they all, complications and
10:11conflicts, you know, with me losing Alana, you know, people going off the rails at each
10:16other, Bravo 2 and I going at each other.
10:19And then by the end, we come together.
10:20So from beginning to end, we knew where that, where those arcs were going to be.
10:24Yeah.
10:25You're directing again this season and this show is literally larger than life in scale.
10:30What are the challenges of kind of showing these different dynamics and what are the
10:34challenges you face in directing?
10:35Well, this one in particular was tough because it was, it was big.
10:38It was a big show.
10:39We were five days on location.
10:41We shot it in seven and a half days and that's pretty big for the amount of stuff that we
10:45did.
10:46From beginning to end, there was, you know, horseback riding, climbing steep hills, very
10:52little equipment that we can take on these mountains.
10:55Um, going through minefields, uh, you know, it, the, the gun worked.
11:00Did you choose this one?
11:01I chose this location.
11:02It seems as though like I like to choose the ones bigger in scope and the elements were
11:07rough.
11:08It was windy.
11:09It was, uh, but it adds to the, what the characters are going through.
11:13You know, it's, it's, we're very dimensional in that aspect of the look of it.
11:18So it was big in scope and I'm excited for people to see it because it was a lot of
11:22work.
11:22How would your, uh, cast describe you as a director?
11:25Are you an actor's director?
11:26Very much so.
11:27Yeah.
11:27I'm a very actor's director.
11:29I don't really, you know, pin people in corners.
11:32I let the scene evolve.
11:33Does that happen?
11:35Pinning actors.
11:35Well, I always, well, you don't really want to, when I say that, I mean, is that you don't
11:41want to put an actor in a situation where they, you know, like stand here, um, because
11:45I need to get a camera around you or something that, if it doesn't feel comfortable for the
11:50actor, you're never going to get the performance that you want.
11:52You just, you just won't because there's, it's not, it's not organic and they may not
11:56like standing by a pole.
11:59It's very odd.
12:00You know, you got to feel that environment.
12:02Let them create their space, let them rehearse it, find it.
12:05And you just kind of let the cameras roll nice and easy.
12:08It's like a dente pasta.
12:10It's all good.
12:11And then you just find these takes and you make it comfortable.
12:14And I, I mean, I, I, that's the way I work.
12:16I think it's, everybody wants to go home.
12:19I don't want to work 11 hour days.
12:20I just want to shoot it and get out, you know, and I think the preparation is key.
12:24And I think that when you are working on the set and you show up as an actor, you have
12:28to have everything down because you don't want to waste people's time, you know, make choices.
12:33Yeah.
12:34I don't think you have time for this, but is there something you want to direct other than
12:38Sealed Teenage?
12:39Uh, you know, I was thinking about this the other day and, um, I love boxing.
12:42I, I'm a big sports fan.
12:44I mean, I'd like to do something of, in regards to Chavez maybe, you know, back in the day,
12:49you know, a Mexican fighter that was in the show, his life, you know, but I love things
12:55that are real.
12:55Those are the best kind of stories.
12:56Yeah.
12:56Like that's character driven.
12:58I love character driven stuff.
12:59So anything that revolves around that, that moves the story along, I think that's where I'm.
13:04Even like a show like Sealed Teenage, it's just like, it feels, that's, those are the stories
13:08I like.
13:08It feels real.
13:09It's, I mean, it is real.
13:10It's just, it's just great getting in a helicopter, getting in a helicopter, you know, you, you
13:14better strap on because it's, it's, it's, it's scary.
13:17There's no dragon flying next to the, no, we're not on green screens or anything like
13:20that or like doing any kind of trickery with stuff.
13:23Um, we like to do things very real.
13:25Yeah.
13:26Yeah.
13:26It's finale night actually.
13:28Um, what's your best tease for how you guys kind of close the season out?
13:33Well, there's what, all these, all these characters go through something on Bravo team.
13:37And at the end, they come to this kind of realization of what's next for them.
13:41And I will say that Jason Hayes has a lot to talk about, but he's not too good about
13:46it.
13:46Yeah.
13:47So I think that's going to be surprising for them.
13:49I mean, it's.
13:49That's a good way to put it.
13:50Yeah.
13:50What are the conversations like about what kind of next season and the next chapter?
13:54You know, I think more about the pack and the wolves.
13:56I mean, we identify them and see what their lives are like, you know, uh, you know, new
14:02relationships, um, identifying past stories with where they came from, uh, looking at their
14:08adversities they have to overcome, whether that's in the political spectrum of Washington
14:12and, um, someone maybe becoming an admiral or maybe not, um, losing rank, losing power,
14:19um, all very character driven stuff.
14:21And, uh, and I, I hint the new relationships because I think, you know, we'll, we will
14:26see that, but it will take a little time, you know, maybe a good love story.
14:31For, for who?
14:32I don't know.
14:33I don't know.
14:33You obviously do know.
14:35Sure.
14:36Well, that's a great tease.
14:37Thank you so much for being here.
14:38Thanks for having me.
14:38I appreciate it.
14:39Especially thanks.
14:40Of course.
14:40Talking to an Ithaca grad, man.
14:42Yeah, this is seriously great.
14:42The bombers, man.
14:43Seriously.
14:43I like it.
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