Lacz, 33, had served with reported to SEAL Team 3 over in 2005 and served two deployments to Iraq, including a 2006 stint in Ramadi when he spent hours posted on rooftops with the late former SOC (SEAL) Chris Kyle, the renowned war hero whose untimely death came a year later at a Texas shooting range.
Cut to 2014, and Lacz — whose name rhymes with "race" — was playing himself in the film based on his friend's life. He went from technical adviser to actor after director Clint Eastwood gave him the seal of approval.
In the days before the Oscars — American Sniper is nominated for six, including best picture and best actor for Bradley Cooper for his portrayal of Kyle — Lacz spoke about making the film, and what it meant to him to be involved in preserving his friend's legacy.
Answers have been edited for brevity.
Q. How did you help Hall get the script right?
A. Chris and I definitely joked quite a bit about Jason's naivete about the SEAL teams and what we do. He didn't really know the military. So we coached him up and I spent some time on the phone with him.
Chris runs a lot missions on his own in the movie, and that's not — we do have officers in charge. So it was constructing that leadership tree. Basically, how the rank and file works in the military. And how there's more of a process than, "Hey, we're going to get a bad guy. Let's drive around and find him."
There's a lot of planning that goes in. It's not as spontaneous as it looks in movies.
Q. How did you end up cast in the movie?
A. They had other former SEALs [in mind] and Jason was like, "Why would you do that? Dauber served with Chris, we've been working with him the whole time, he was this liaison for me."
So they set up a date last February for me to train Bradley out in the eastern hills outside [Los Angeles]. So we're on the range and Bradley looks up — he's on the gun — and he's like, "Hey have you ever thought about playing yourself in the movie?"
He caught me off guard, I didn't know what to say. I really didn't have an answer for him. And the next night we're out to dinner and he's like, "Hey, I'm going to tell Clint that you have to do this thing."
And then as far as I can remember, I texted Jason and Jason was like, "When Bradley wants you do be in his movie, you be in his movie."
Bradley Cooper, left, and former SO1 (SEAL) Kevin Lacz, right, in American Sniper.
Photo Credit: Photo courtesy Warner Bros.
My wife taped me on an iPhone, we did a couple of takes, and then I sent it into the casting director, who sent it to Clint, and Clint said, "The boy's damn good. Give him a job."
Q. Did filming take you back at all?
A. There was just so much production going on with getting the appearance of what it was like in reality. At the end of the day, what was amazing was the stuff that we did in the Navy as SEALs as part of that coalition force in Iraq. That was something I was really proud of.
So when it came to filming, to sit back and see respect and the interest in the stuff that we did, that made me feel really special. But did it feel realistic or did it take me back? No. To be in front of the camera, no, it wasn't like that, like I'm back in 2006. But it was a good reflection on my part to go back and think about all that.
Q. What do you remember about Chris that wasn't in the movie?
A. There are clear, distinct differences in the way Chris was and how he was portrayed, but I think [Bradley] did a very honorable job of preserving that legacy and depicting him. To make it realistic — how I would joke around with Chris — I made some snarky comments in the film, and that's stuff that I would say to Chris. To you know, fire him up.
Chris's humor. I mean, he was a funny guy. He loved to cut up and joke around and I think that wasn't in there.
But I think the bond of the brotherhood was probably the biggest thing. When [SO2 (SEAL) Ryan Job] was lost, when he died in 2009, that was huge for Chris. It crushed him. When [AO2 (SEAL)] Marck Lee was killed on that op he and I were on [in 2006], it crushed him. It wasn't just a subtle look. It feels like getting your heart ripped out of your chest, and Chris felt that, like we all did.
Q. What's next for you?
A. I'm a board-certified physician assistant down here in Florida, and I work with a doctor, and we work in conjunction with a benevolent fund run through the Andrews Institute and EXOS training facility, where we see active duty and veterans. We help work on their physical components of stress and fatigue.
Now with the movie and everything, I get to do a lot more charity now. Helping get the awareness for veterans not just people that have been changed because of war, but everyone out there who's served.
Q. Have you gotten any feedback about going Hollywood from team guys?
A. All my buddies are all very supportive. I just have to buy them more beers when we go out. At the end of the day, I mean, it's Chris's story and it's Chris's story that needed to be told.
I really haven't heard any negative things from team guys.The overall response has been positive, because it's a character study of Chris. It's not a focus on the SEAL teams.
Former SO1 (SEAL) Kevin Lacz, left, and former SOC (SEAL) Chris Kyle, right.
Photo Credit: Photo courtesy Kevin Lacz
Meghann Myers is the Pentagon bureau chief at Military Times. She covers operations, policy, personnel, leadership and other issues affecting service members.
