Why Bode From Fire Country Looks So Familiar
There are countless procedurals on television, and some of the biggest hitters involve stories about the heroes of the emergency services. However, some gems fly under the radar compared to the big players, so fans who are burnt out on "Chicago Fire" should try "Fire Country." The CBS series tells the story of Bode Donovan, a convict who joins a small-town fire department to chop a few years off his prison sentence. Thus begins his journey toward redemption while ensuring the surrounding area doesn't perish in flames.
The Bode actor is brought to life by actor Max Thieriot, a real-life hero who grew up in a similar community to the one on "Fire Country. As such, the show has a personal significance to him, and he hopes it makes viewers appreciate the efforts of the real heroes who risk their lives protecting communities every day.
Of course, the actor's face may be incredibly familiar to viewers of the series, as the actor has been in the industry since his early teens, having built quite the resume until his starring role on the CBS drama. With that in mind, let's look at some of his notable film and television projects, including comedies starring Vin Diesel and horror movies featuring Jennifer Lawrence.
Max Thieriot played Gus in Catch That Kid
Anyone who grew up in the early 2000s might remember the movie featuring a young Corbin Bleu and Kristen Stewart called "Catch That Kid." Although it received very poor reviews from critics like most notable movies from that period like "Zoom," "Herbie: Fully Loaded," and others, it's a cult classic for some fans.
The film follows Stewart's Maddy as she seeks the help of her best friends, Austin (Bleu) and Gus (Thieriot), to help her rob a bank to get enough money for a cure for her father (Sam Robards). Max Thieriot's first acting credit in the industry was playing Gus, and he told Teen Hollywood at the time that it was really the go-karts in the movie that got him excited about the role.
Thieriot's Gus is a young mechanic in the film. He battles with Austin throughout to be Maddy's boyfriend, which remains unresolved even at the very end. This was arguably Thieriot's breakout role, and he continued to land roles in feature films from 2004 to 2012.
He played a key supporting role in The Pacifier
Only one year after "Catch That Kid," Max Thieriot became part of another film from the early 2000s that is arguably even more iconic for fans — "The Pacifier." The movie notably follows Vin Diesel's Shane Wolfe, a Navy SEAL who is tasked with protecting the Plummer family after their father (Tate Donovan), a government scientist, is killed and a classified project is still in the house. Hilarious and dangerous events unfold as Wolfe does not have any children of his own, and is completely untrained to handle watching five children. Thieriot notably plays the role of Seth Plummer, one of the older children who initially gives Shane a particularly hard time, at least until they bond over Seth's passion for theater.
"The Pacifier," in the same way as "Catch That Kid," was another film that seemingly allowed Thieriot to shine as a young actor, which likely led to his casting alongside Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, and Amanda Seyfried in 2009's "Chloe." It was a more serious supporting role for Thieriot, playing the son of a couple who gets caught up in suspicions of adultery. "The Pacifier" is also one Vin Diesel flop that's gained a second life on HBO Max, allowing viewers to appreciate it years after its release.
He starred alongside Jennifer Lawrence in House at the End of the Street
After appearing in a few movies in the early 2010s, like "The Family Tree" and "My Soul to Take," Thieriot got another big opportunity from which you may recognize him. He played the character of Ryan in "House at the End of the Street" with co-star Jennifer Lawrence.
The psychological horror film follows Lawrence's Elissa as she befriends Ryan, the survivor of a crime where his sister, Carrie-Anne, allegedly kills his parents. However, it is quickly revealed throughout the events of the film that Ryan is the murderer, and that he's been kidnapping unsuspecting women to be his "new" sister due to the trauma of the real Carrie-Anne dying at a young age in an accident. By the end of the movie, it is even revealed that his parents would force him to dress up as his sister after she died and pretend he wasn't himself.
This was an unsettling and serious role for Thieriot, and the film's poor reviews didn't necessarily hinder his opportunities for future projects. Thieriot would continue to appear in some popular television series you've likely seen him in since then.
Thieriot played Norman Bates' half-brother Dylan on Bates Motel
Only one year after "House at the End of the Street," Max Thieriot landed a big supporting role as Dylan Massett, the half-brother of Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) on "Bates Motel," which ran from 2013 to 2017 on A&E. Dylan is a character in the series that struggles and puts on a tough outer shell, although he is kind deep down and eventually becomes close to Norman. As Norman's mental illness progresses, Dylan is ultimately forced to kill him by the end of the series, and he is one of the only main characters with a relatively happy ending, as he lives on with Emma (Olivia Cooke) and their daughter.
While speaking about "Bates Motel" at San Diego Comic-Con during a cast panel, by way of Showbiz Junkies, in 2016, Thieriot explained that the show had been a massive part of his life. "It's going to feel like the end of an era. I think I was already engaged but I got married; I had a kid. There's so many things that have happened in my own personal life over the course of shooting," the actor said. He also discussed what it was like to direct, as he had the opportunity to get behind the camera for the 2017 episode "Hidden," noting that it was a rewarding experience.
Thieriot played Clay Spenser on SEAL Team
Soon after "Bates Motel," Max Thieriot would put on some serious size and changes to his body composition for a big role on "SEAL Team," where he played the character of Clay Spenser, a member of Bravo Team alongside David Boreanaz's Jason Hayes. His character was ultimately killed off in Season 6, with the actor choosing to leave the series on his own accord.
In an interview with Collider, Thieriot revealed that his workload between "SEAL Team" and "Fire Country" became too much, so he chose the latter series to avoid having a grueling schedule. "It became clear that it wasn't like SEAL Team was gonna be over and done with, and here's the next thing I could do, so I really wasn't sure."
Fortunately, his decision to leave a seemingly stead long-term role to take a chance on the CBS series paid off. "Fire Country" Season 2 is happening, and it's expected to arrive this year.