David Boreanaz on Directing ‘SEAL Team’: ”There Can Be Some Clashing”

“The actor can be a little stubborn, the director always looking for a shot,” the Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum said of acting and directing his CBS series

Working simultaneously behind and in front of the camera is a balancing act — just ask David Boreanaz.

While appearing virtually on The Late Show Tuesday, the 51-year-old actor got candid about the challenges of directing himself in his CBS series, SEAL Team.

“What is David Boreanaz like as an actor in the point of view of David Boreanaz as a director? Did you guys clash, or it was a meeting of the minds?” host Stephen Colbert asked the actor of the dual role.

“There can be some clashing,” the Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum admitted. “The actor can be a little stubborn, the director always looking for a shot, making sure he gets the right shot.”

Boreanaz went on to explain how he balanced the acting and directing roles, telling Colbert about one experience where he challenged himself to do some heavy lifting — literally.

“We were shooting a stunt sequence and it involved me fire carrying a real SEAL, who was about 240 pounds. And the director in me said, ‘David, actor, do not do this stunt, because you will hurt yourself! But yet the actor in me said, ‘I can do this, I can carry a 240-pound SEAL with full gear on my shoulder,'” Boreanaz said of his internal actor-director conflict.

Continuing, he said, “So we were kind of conflicted, and at the last minute, the actor David decided to do the stunt and put the SEAL on his shoulder,” he recalled, adding that the decision was ultimately not the best one. The actor took about 10 steps before taking a tumble, rolling his ankle and nearly busting both of his knees.

“The director was happy he got the shot, but the actor learned that the ego in the actor of David Boreanaz should just take a step back, and realize he can’t do specific stunts like that anymore,” he said with a smile.

Later in the interview, Boreanaz called it an honor to work with real military personnel on the drama series.

“We’re really proud of the fact we have real veterans on that show,” he said.