Exclusive Interview: The pop culture guru’s conversation with SEAL Team’s AJ Buckley
AJ Buckley’s road to SEAL Team began five years ago when he first auditioned for the role of Sonny Quinn; He’s finished his stints on the hit television series CSI: NY and Supernatural and is looking for more in his career. He was tired of being considered an “idiot” and needed a change, so he hired a trainer and nutritionist to help him get into the best shape of his life. That dedication helped him get the role of a lifetime. When he walked into the audition room for SEAL Team, he was almost unrecognizable and surprised the creative team. The pop culture guru had the pleasure of speaking with AJ about SEAL Team, what it’s like to work alongside real-life veterans, and what’s next for Sonny.

PC: Tell us about SEAL Team and your character in the series.
AJ: Sonny Quinn is a cowboy. All he cares about is his country, freedom, women and whiskey.

PC: We understand that the SEAL Team came to see you at a pivotal time in your career. Tell us about your journey with SEAL Team and what being a part of this series means to you?
AJ: The journey to SEAL Team was five years in the making. After watching CSI: NY and Supernatural, I was tired of playing those types of characters. Even though I’m essentially a jerk, that’s not exactly where I wanted my career to go. I committed to working out extremely hard and hired a nutritionist and personal trainer. I know I’m working towards something, but I don’t know when it will appear. Five years later, I auditioned for SEAL Team and when I walked through that door, the same casting director from CSI: NY said, “Fuck it! What happened to you?” I finished the audition and got the call about a week or two later: they wanted me to audition and they were going to use the tape. A week later, I knew I was got this role and little did I know that this would be the greatest job of my life. I say that because I get to work every day and work alongside some of the greatest veterans served in our military. I learned a lot from them as an actor, but even more about how lucky we are to live in a country where Men and women sacrifice their lives for the freedom you and I enjoy every day.

PC: Is preparation different when you take on a project like this?
AJ: The preparation process was extremely stressful. In this role, I want to have the mindset of being the hardest working person in the room, whether that means training at 3am before a 5am call time or diving into the technical side of things. art of work.

PC: How much of Sonny do you have?
AJ: I always wanted to be a cowboy and grew up loving Western movies. I like Sonny’s playful yet supportive personality. I can totally relate to him in that sense.

PC: What can you tease about Sonny’s arc this season?
AJ: We go a lot deeper into the psychology of the invisible wounds of war and also touch on his relationships with his brothers and other relationships outside of the group. We really push the envelope on Sonny’s PTSD and other effects that can come about as a result of the war.

PC: As an actor, how valuable is it for you to have so many real-life veterans on this show?
AJ: I heard the stories of some amazing veterans and their sacrifices. It really shows how lucky we are as American citizens.

PC: Besides SEAL Team, do you have any upcoming projects to talk about?
AJ: Yes, I’m currently working on a series called Pure on WGN. I play the role of a heavy-duty and completely degenerate police officer. This is a really great show that I filmed two years ago in Nova Scotia, Canada.