HBO's 'The Pacific': An Interview with Jon Seda

UPDATE: “The Congressional Medal of Honor” is now listed as the “Medal of Honor” and the “Gladiator” film mentioned is no longer listed as the version directed by Ridley Scott. Thanks to our ever helpful fact-checking commenters.

Ed. Note: Starting Sunday, March 14th, HBO begins its 10-part miniseries “The Pacific,” which follows the United States Marine Corps through WWII in the Pacific Theatre of Operations. This $100 million production re-teams a number of those (including Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg) involved in HBO’s unforgettable 2001 miniseries, “Band of Brothers,” which many, including myself, consider to be one of the finest productions about WWII made for television or any other medium.

I’ve asked Michael Broderick, an actor, former Marine, and top-notch writer to be Big Hollywood’s point man on this project. He’ll be snagging whatever interviews he can, reviewing many if not all of the episodes, and keeping the Big Hollywood community up to date and informed on what is sure to be a seminal moment in television, a terrific piece of entertainment, and a worthy tribute to our Veterans. — JN

The Pacific: An Interview with Jon Seda

What a long, strange trip it’s been.

I entered the Marine Corps in nineteen eighty *cough* at the tender age of seventeen, secure in the knowledge that upon completion of my four year hitch, I would move to Hollywood and become a popular and sought after actor.

Instead, I fell in lust and, upon leaving the Corps, followed my John Thomas to New York City. That was okay. They have actors in New York, right?

No contacts, no formal training and no idea what I was doing, I ended up in a fantastic little rock and roll band instead. We made a good run of it through the 90s. In fact, I met my wife while I was playing CBGB in 1998.

Flash forward to November 2001. HBO’s “Band of Brothers” had recently aired its final episode and it was beginning to really sink in. “It” being the realization that the United States could be entering another long and bloody war. I came to realize the importance of this series. It honored those who sacrificed on behalf of their countrymen but did not shy away from illustrating the horror of combat.

About two years later, I got word that Spielberg, Hanks and Co. (I would certainly never address them using their last names to their face, it just sounds better) were planning a new series based on the Marines in the Pacific Theater. I had already started shifting priorities in my life (a couple of skyscrapers getting knocked down on a few thousand of your neighbors tends to focus the mind) and decided to have a sit-down with the wife.

My wife, a beautiful, intelligent and tough Italian girl from Jersey (are there any other kind?) is not shy with her opinions. A year earlier, very pregnant with our only child, on a business trip to Los Angeles, she’d said, “I could never live out here” and I was about to drop a bomb on her.

“You want to move where?” We had only recently purchased a cozy Greenwich Village apartment and were settling in.

It took some convincing but my wife has always been one to back her man’s play. We put the apartment up for sale. Within a few months and with family in tow, I was finally coming to Hollywood to become an actor. I was going to get an audition for “The Pacific” if it killed me.

So, how does a greenhorn actor wrangle his way into one of the top casting agencies for a role in, perhaps, the most important project of the new decade?

Well, frankly, I don’t know. I wasn’t able to do it.

Regardless, I’ve been looking forward to the premiere of “The Pacific” for a long time. When John Nolte asked me to cover it for Big Hollywood, I simply couldn’t refuse. So, I’ll be following the series as it progresses and you can keep up with it, right here. If fortune smiles upon me, perhaps Mr. Spielberg or Mr. Hanks will agree to chat with me a bit and I can bring that to you, too. Who knows? I’m still new at this, so I’ll try anything. To quote Captain Dale Dye, “You can do a lot of things people tell you are impossible when you’re blissfully ignorant”.

With that in mind, and on Capt Dye’s recommendation, I contacted the wonderful Mara Mikialian at HBO and she was kind enough to put me in touch with actor Jon Seda who plays GySgt “Manila” John Basilone.

John Basilone is the hero of Raritan, New Jersey. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Guadalcanal and remains a fixture in Marine Corps history. I won’t go too much into his story, as it will be explored in the series.

Like Basilone, Jon Seda is a New Jersey native and was an amateur boxer, as well. He made his screen debut as a fighter in “Gladiator.” In 1996, Jon received critical acclaim for his role as Blue in “The Sunchaser” opposite Woody Harrelson at the Cannes Film Festival and has enjoyed numerous roles on popular television shows, including “Kevin Hill”, “Ghost Whisperer” and HBO’s “Oz”.

I also reached out to Dale Dye to get his take. Although extremely busy with the roll out of the series, both men made time to answer some questions I had via email. For that, I’m very grateful.

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Michael Broderick: HBO’s “Band of Brothers” was a huge success and resonated with people all over the world. It’s inevitable that comparisons will be made. How do you think “The Pacific” stacks up?

Jon Seda: I know it’s inevitable that there will be those who compare “The Pacific” to “Band of Brothers”. For years, the Pacific theater of war was not talked about as much as the European theater, yet it was part of the same War. What was accomplished in “Band of Brothers” was incredible, from the writing and producing to the performances of the actors who honored all those men that fought bravely and gave the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy today. To me, that’s what it’s all about. With “The Pacific”, we’re just trying to do the same thing, continue to honor and make sure the real heroes aren’t forgotten!

MB: You play the part of “Manila” John Basilone, recipient of the Medal of Honor and one of the most famous Marines of all time. Can you tell us a little bit about the role?

JS: Words can’t express how humbled I am in being given the privilege to portray Gunnery Sergeant Basilone! John was born in New York like me and grew up in New Jersey like me. We both had a passion for boxing. John came from a big loving family and was with the Army first…but really found his niche with the Marines. He was a Jersey boy who loved being a Marine…he was tough but also well respected by his men. They all loved him and he never called himself a hero, he would just say he was doing what he was supposed to do. I could only pray that I would have had an ounce of the same courage he had!

MB: Did your boxing experience come into play during the shoot?

JS: I think the boxing training I’ve experienced in the past definitely helped me physically with the role, but if anything, it helped me more mentally, because it gave me the mindset to not quit, to keep fighting when I was tired, to get up if I was knocked down!

Dale Dye: If I had to point to the heart of the training unit for “The Pacific”, it would be Jon. James Badge Dale (Leckie) may be the brain and Joe Mazzello (Sledge) may be the guts, but Jon Seda was definitely the heart of the unit. He was motivated for all the right reasons all the time.

Jon understood the concept of tough, mentally, physically and psychologically. We’d finish one grueling exercise after another and he’d be just standing there sweating and hurting, asking me what’s next. I once told him to slow down and he fired right back at me: “Did those Marines on Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima slow down?” That’s Jon through and through.

MB: Did you find any particular source helpful in your preparation for the role?

JS: In regards to preparation…I mean, how does one prepare to portray someone like Manila John? I did a fair amount of research of facts by watching documentaries and reading books including, “I’m Staying With My Boys,” by Jim Proser, and “Red Blood, Black Sand” by Chuck Tatum. Tatum, a Marine who served on Iwo Jima with Basilone, is portrayed in “The Pacific”, and is someone I was able to meet with. At the end of the day, I stored all that in my head somewhere.

MB: Was there any one thing about the man that really clicked with you?

JS: I just concentrated on the fact that Basilone was a just a guy from Jersey who turned out to be a darn good Marine and who found himself in extraordinary circumstances, did what he trained to do and rose to the occasion!

MB: Captain Dale Dye was on board, once again, as Senior Military Advisor. His “boot camps” are legendary in the industry. What did you take away from that experience?

JS: I would never try to disrespect our men and women Marines by saying that the Boot Camp we endured was equal to theirs! That said, we needed something to give us a foundation to build on and that foundation came from Captain Dale Dye! He assembled a Boot Camp that taught us the ins and outs of the weapons used in WWII, and he had us go through tactical combat scenarios to at least give us a small insight to what it was like for these men.

DD: Seda actually became a technically proficient machine-gunner. He understood the functioning and the employment of those old thirty-caliber guns as well as anyone I’ve ever taught. About midway through training he could do head-space and timing without help and I rarely had to tell him to displace in covering infantry assaults. He knew when the time was right and just did it. He rapidly became a very functional machine gun section leader.

JS: Of course, we could never really know what it was like but if we were going to be the voice for these men we had to have something to draw from. I think the greatest thing we got from the Boot Camp was the camaraderie we developed with each other and we were able to keep this with us throughout the year of filming…hopefully it shows.

MB: What’s the most unexpected thing that you’re taking away from this experience?

JS: I thought I had a pretty good appreciation of everyday life before my experience with “The Pacific”, but I sure do now! I hope that’s what all who watch get out of it!

DD: Probably one of my most impactful moments during training for the Pacific came after our final field exercise, which involved an assault from the sea on a fortified enemy beach. Jon Seda walked up to me and said, “Skipper, you know that thing Semper Fidelis? I understand it now.” And he does. It shows in every scene of his performance.

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I’d like to thank Jon Seda, Captain Dale Dye and Mara Mikialian at HBO for their time in helping me kick this off. Thank you, John Nolte, for asking me to take it on. Lastly, thank you for reading. I hope you’ll come along for the ride.

See you back here after the March 14th premiere of HBO’s “The Pacific.”