“Act of Valor” showcases real Navy SEALs, wives and kids ... and bullets

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demanded eliminates those who are unable to pull off demanding missions and unexpected situations in which inventiveness, strength, cunning, team-spirit, mental toughness and versatility are vital.

And that’s what Waugh and McCoy show – how from Day One, trainees learn their lives depend on teamwork as well as willingness to sacrifice everything for their buddies. Navy SEALs have never left another SEAL behind on a mission. But filming that story while keeping out of the way was no easy task.

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“It’s important to note that no Navy assets were diverted into making this movie,” notes Waugh. “We worked around existing training operations and that’s why it took over two and a half years to shoot — and four years from start to finish.

“For four years,” says McCoy, “we were humbled and honored to be invited into the world of Navy special warfare, to take a look at their story. We spent a lot of time meeting the men and hearing the stories.”

Six months into the project, they identified five true-life acts of valor that had actually happened in the last 11 years. So, McCoy and Waugh hired screenwriter Kurt Johnstad to craft those incidents into a movie.

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