Why Clay Spenser From SEAL Team Looks So Familiar

"SEAL Team" was David Boreanaz's post-"Bones" show, and it turned out to be a similarly solid hit to his Fox procedural. The CBS series focuses on the most elite group of Navy SEALs as they carry out the United States military's most dangerous missions. Max Thieriot plays Clay Spenser, a member of Bravo Team with a sharp aim and a cocky demeanor. But Spenser was far from Thieriot's first major role.

Now that Netflix has added the military series "SEAL Team" to its ever-expanding catalog, a whole new audience will become acquainted with Boreanaz's Navy SEAL Jason Hayes and his team of badasses. One of those soldiers is Thieriot's Special Warfare Operator First Class Clay Spenser, aka Bravo 6/6B. When the show first begins, Spenser is an overly confident rookie who immediately clashes with Hayes after he shoots Abu Samir Al Masri during a mission, despite the fact that he was wearing a detonation vest and was supposed to be taken alive. But over the course of the show, Clay becomes an indispensable and doggedly loyal member of Bravo Team, even saving Hayes' life at one point.

Those just catching up with the show will likely be wondering where they've seen Thieriot before. After all, the actor has been in the industry since 2004, when he made his debut in action comedy "Catch That Kid" alongside Kristen Stewart and Corbin Bleu. Since then, he's appeared in multiple high-profile projects on both the big and small screen, working with the likes of Billy Bob Thornton, Julianne Moore, and Jennifer Lawrence. Today, he's the star and co-creator of CBS's "Fire Country. Here's everything you need to know about Thieriot's career pre- and post-"SEAL Team."

Max Thieriot appeared in the very first episode of "SEAL Team" and remained with the show for the next six seasons, departing in 2022 after having appeared in 102 episodes. For most of that time, "SEAL Team" was the only project Thieriot focused on. Prior to playing Clay Spenser, however, he had a varied career that saw him appear in everything from family comedies to horrors and everything in between.

After "Catch That Kid," Thieriot was cast in Vin Diesel's action comedy "The Pacifier," in which Diesel — fittingly enough — played a Navy SEAL who's tasked with protecting a scientist's five children. Thieriot played one of the kids. "The Pacifier" was one of Diesel's best movies, giving the "Fast and Furious" star a chance to demonstrate his comedic chops. But it also gave Thieriot a major platform following his debut in "Catch that Kid," and he only gained momentum thereafter.

The young actor then played the son of Billy Bob Thornton's Charles Farmer in 2006's "The Astronaut Farmer" before co-starring with Emma Roberts in 2007's "Nancy Drew." Significant roles in Doug Liman's 2008 sci-fi actioner "Jumper" (2008) and Wes Craven's horror thriller "My Soul to Take" followed, after which Thieriot joined an impressive cast in 2009's "Chloe." That thriller saw him appear alongside other major Hollywood stars, including Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, and Amanda Seyfried. He'd continue to secure big roles in the years after. His most significant movie project saw him star opposite Jennifer Lawrence in psychological horror "House at the End of the Street" in 2012. It was the perfect way to segue into his biggest, pre-"SEAL Team" TV role.

In 2013, Max Thieriot made his debut as Norman Bates' (Freddie Highmore) brother, Dylan Massett, in A&E's "Bates Motel." The contemporary prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" was a hit and gave Thieriot his first major TV role. He even managed to sneak a bottle of his own wine, produced at his vineyard in Occidental, into an episode of the show. The actor remained with the series for all five seasons, before departing in 2017 — the same year he joined "SEAL Team."

During his "Bates Motel" run, Thieriot also found time to appear in a star-studded miniseries that remains Ray Liotta's only Western, playing John Coffee "Jack" Hays in History Channel's 2015 show "Texas Rising." That same year, he made his last film appearance (at the time of writing) in "Point Break," after which he was committed to "SEAL Team." Aside from portraying Clay Spenser, Thieriot also directed two episodes of the CBS (later Paramount+) series, which set him up nicely for his next endeavor: "Fire Country."

Thieriot co-created the CBS drama series in which he also stars as convict-turned-firefighter Bode Leone. The show's 2022 debut prompted his exit from "SEAL Team." As showrunner Spencer Hudnut, who now oversees the somewhat contentious "Yellowstone" spin-off "Marshals," told TV Insider, "Truthfully, it was so difficult just keeping Max to finish his work on Season 6." Not only was Thieriot starring in "Fire Country," but he was also producing, directing, and contributing his writing talents to several episodes. The show remains on the air today, and is set to debut its fifth season in October 2026.