When former NHL tough guy John Scott was asked to play the role of a vilified professional hockey player on an episode of the S.W.A.T. television show, he didn’t need research to get into character.

He was able to draw on personal experiences — like the time he was walking down the streets of Boston and a passerby started screaming obscenities at him. Or the scene in Vancouver when he was confronted by an elderly woman.

“Walking to dinner with a couple of guys in Vancouver,” Scott told USA TODAY Sports. “And some nice old lady honks her horn at us, and we look, and she flips us the bird as she drives by nice and slow. She had an oxygen tank tube stuck up her nose. It was a classic.”

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The plot of the S.W.A.T. episode, “Imposters,” airing Thursday at 10 p.m. ET on CBS, has Scott playing Bobby Strock, a player who needs SWAT protection because of death threats he receives when he returns to town for the first time since injuring a popular local player on a dirty hit.

According to the script, SWAT member David “Deacon” Kay, played by Jay Harrington, doesn’t like the player he is protecting. Harrington had fun with Scott on the first day of filming by telling him that this was art imitating reality. Massachusetts native Harrington, a Bruins fan, told Scott how much he detested him for a TKO he recorded against popular Bruins role player Shawn Thornton years before.

“I told him there was a time I wasn’t a big fan of his,” Harrington said.

But that changed as soon as he spent time with Scott. “He has such a big personality to go with his size,” Harrington said. “He was a natural. He took to (acting) real quickly.”

Prior to accepting the part, Scott’s only previous acting stint was a ninth-grade performance in a high school play.

“This was the most nervous I’ve ever been doing anything,” Scott said.

Scott, a veteran of 286 games across eight seasons, said his wife couldn’t understand why he was nervous because he has played in front of large crowds many times and he has performed in the spotlight. In 2016, when fans embraced a campaign to get the tough guy into the NHL all-star game, he won a fan balloting spot and proceeded to play well enough to win the game’s MVP.

“But it’s a whole different animal when you are scripted and saying lines,” Scott said. “I was outside my comfort zone.”

He did, however, discover his comfort level quick enough to ad-lib one of the scenes involving chirping players.

“I read (the script) and said I would never in a million years say this stuff,” Scott said.

Scott said he doesn’t recall all of the changes that were made at his request, although he remembers that some of the dialogue was “too matter-of-fact” for the heated situation he was supposed to be in. At one point, he recommended that he call an opponent “a donkey” to capture the realism of the circumstance.

Harrington said Scott offered several funny lines that he had actually heard during NHL games.

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“That’s what I mean about him being a natural,” Harrington said. “He wanted it to be real.”

Realness wasn’t questioned in the hockey scenes, particularly the one involving the six-foot-eight Scott crunching Harrington along the boards. Harrington played high school hockey, and he was thrilled to do his hockey scenes. He took shots from Scott. He said he “saw stars” on one of Scott’s hits.

“He got me good,” Harrington said.

But his brother Matt is his stunt double and he had it worse when he stepped in.

“I buried his brother pretty good,” said Scott, who admitted he let up on Jay.

Harrington’s brother opted to skate faster in the bodycheck scene along the boards, and that forced the 270-pound Scott to do the same to hit their mark at the right time. It was heavy collision each time. That scene was part of a 13-hour day on set.

“There were a few times when I thought I separated his shoulder or gave him a concussion,” Scott said. “I must have hit him 15 or 20 times. I felt sorry for Jay’s brother.”

This was not a cameo appearance by Scott. He’s in several scenes, more than he thought he would be in. He was on set eight days. Scott memorized his lines, but still managed to flub some when the cameras were rolling.

“It’s funny how your brain works. You can say a line to yourself 100 times, but in the moment you will switch two words around,” Scott said. “I don’t know how actors do it every week with a full script. It’s an incredible talent.”

Scott is hosting a party for friends to watch his acting debut. Coincidentally, Jay Harrington is doing the same for his hockey buddies to watch him play on the rink.

Since leaving the NHL, Scott hasn’t decided what he wants to do in the next chapter of his life.

“I am not actively pursuing (acting),” Scott said. “But I wouldn’t turn it down if another opportunity came my way. It was neat.”