Country star Riley Green is accustomed to having crowds on their feet to the tunes of his guitar, but being on a TV set as a Navy SEAL is a different battlefield altogether. In the CBS drama Marshals, Green exchanges the stadium energy for a much more dramatic and heavy role: a former SEAL carrying the emotional weight of combat.
Although the transition from music to acting may seem like a natural thing, Green clarifies that there is actual responsibility involved in taking up the role of Garrett in Marshals. Playing a service member, particularly one who works through trauma, does not only involve intense dialogues or appearances, but also respecting experiences that most veterans live with daily.
That is where the pressure comes in, not from the need to perform before thousands, but with the need to get it right. When you are putting on a pair of shoes that signify true sacrifice, “good enough” is not enough.
Riley Green’s role in Marshals
To Green, performing was not so much of a challenge, but the precision was. Playing a Navy SEAL in Marshals also involved entering a realm that he himself acknowledges he had little to no idea about, which puts an even greater strain on him to do justice to those who have experienced it firsthand. In a recent conversation with Military.com, Riley Green said,
“There’s a level of pressure trying to represent something like that, that you don’t feel just playing any character.”
He also added,
“That’s something I know nothing about beyond just relationships and friends that I’ve got that have served.”
He was not merely playing a machismo, action-oriented character. His role in Marshals discusses the mental consequences of service, such as trauma and emotional conflict that are not always apparent. It is a delicate balance: one false step might turn it into a shallow thing.
In order to fill in that gap, Green resorted to the people surrounding him. The idea of having actual Navy SEALs on the set of Marshals was valuable as it provided an understanding of their mindset and their physical stress. Green also told Military.com
“I think we were beyond fortunate that there were Navy SEALs on set that we could kind of lean into if we had question. That was extremely helpful for me.”
On top of the technical aspect, respect was the motivating factor. The fact that veterans would be watching made him go beyond acting and strive to be as authentic as he could, because when a role is based on true lives, there are no shortcuts.
A different kind of pressure
Being a newcomer was one of the more unexpected pressures on him. He is a master in music: he is aware of his art, his listeners, and his beat. That dynamic was not the same with acting. He was suddenly placed amidst a huge team where every minute detail counts, and each individual contributes to the final product.
Green termed that change humbling. He had to listen and learn fast, rather than be a leader. An expectation on the set that goes without saying is: everyone must deliver, no matter how experienced he is. That creates a quieter, constant pressure. You are always surrounded by experienced artists, and you have to keep up with them.
Simultaneously, that challenge became a part of the appeal. It made Green leave his comfort zone in a manner that was never the case with music. Every day, it was something new, and it kept him on his toes, and though it seemed at first to be intimidating, that was what made the experience so thrilling.
For more such insights on Marshals, keep following SoapCentral.
Edited by Abhimanyu Sharma