This Canadian actor chats with CTV.ca about his learning ability, his newfound passion for environmental work, Twitter on the set of “CSI: NY” and his first memories of moving to Los Angeles.
AJ Buckley, who was born in Ireland and raised in British Columbia, plays Adam Ross on the “CSI” spinoff, “CSI: NY,” which stars Gary Sinise and Sela Ward. His character Adam is the team’s lab rat, though he’s gotten his hands dirty before going deep on a case.
Buckley made his first appearance on “CSI: NY” in season two, and shortly became a full-time presence on the series.
“CSI: NY” returns this fall on CTV.
On dealing with dyslexia:
“I’ve struggled with it my whole life, and I don’t look at it as a disability, it just made me work harder. At times it gets frustrating, but you have to apply yourself more. It’s trying sometimes, especially with the dialog I have to say on set… I could not be saying harder dialog with this type of reading problem. Some words are just so hard to say, so adding that on top, I’ve got my work cut out for me.
“In school, it was tough. I was never really good in school. Years ago, they really didn’t know, per se, how to deal with it like they deal with it now. There wasn’t the ability to improve it as much. Not to say I was just pushed along, but they just couldn’t understand why I couldn’t process the information as well as the other kids. And I didn’t get it for the longest time. Until I was 17 or 18, I didn’t understand what it was. A lot of times too, I hid it, it was really embarrassing, just from a grammar level to spelling, or reading out loud. I would have a panic attack. It was embarrassing. And then when I wanted to be an actor, not being able to read out loud, it made me work harder at it. And be open with it, as opposed to hiding from it. It is crazy how many people suffer from it.
“You’ve got to deal with it. Rise to the occasion. Somebody once said to me, that the only way I was going to get through this, was to apply myself. You’ve got to work through it. You’ve got to deal with it; it’s going to be with you for the rest of your life. Work hard. Once you have that mentality, then you build that muscle up. Don’t be too hard on yourself; it’s something you can totally get through.
On becoming the celebrity spokesperson for Mantra Venture Group, which is a collective of sustainable energy and recycling companies focused on environmental initiatives.
“It’s a carbon recycling company. The company approached me, they sent me some material and I got really passionate about the company itself, and what they’re about and what they’re trying to do with the planet. They’re leading the way in carbon recycling technology, their LED lighting technology. They’re Vancouver-based, Canadian. I told them I would love to be the face of the company. I get to be a part of something at such an important time on this planet, with everyone focused on such a problem, carbon. I think this company can have a big impact at erasing the carbon footprint.
“I go around to these trade shows and speak at different summits, bringing awareness to people my age and younger, certain people within that company couldn’t reach. When you boil down the real facts and statistics of what carbon monoxide is doing to this planet… to not feel like you have to do something… I don’t think you’re human.
“It’s funny, I’ve gotten to travel around the world, and being from a place like Vancouver, which is so clean and ahead of so many places that I’ve been to, it shocks me that a big country like America is so behind in certain things, or it’s dismissed as a big a problem as it really is. These bigger corporations have not been at the forefront to make things better, to put money into this technology and help with the planet. That for me was part of why I got passionate about this company.
“There was a windstorm in L.A., and the morning after there was no smog, and I could see the mountains. And I was like… ‘There’s mountains? Snowcap mountains?’ That’s insane, I’ve been there for thirteen years and I’ve never seen that view before, seeing the mountains in the distance.
“I don’t know everything about the science and the technology. For me to come in and approach it… I’m an everyday person, I’m not an actor, just a person who needs to know and educate myself about this and spread the word. Coming from that point of view, just learning about it, and having a voice, for me, was a really, really important thing.”
On the emergence of Twitter as the social media tool choice on the set of “CSI: NY.”
“Hill was first, then I was second, then Gary came on, and Carmine just started. Sela just started. It’s funny. There’s a fake Eddie. Everybody talks to each other. It’s funny seeing Gary Twitter, because he gets really excited about it, he loves it. I remember when Hill took pictures on set, and Gary would ask, ‘What’s this picture for?’ And when he was told it was for Twitter, he would go, ‘Twitter?’ And now he’s like, ‘Guys, let’s take a picture for Twitter.’ But Gary is great because he does so much work with the troops, and a lot of his followers are guys who have been in the service, so it has an emotional connection for the people he talks to. It’s his way to have access, in the best way possible, with his band and stuff.”
On his first memories of moving to Los Angeles early in his career:
“Yeah, I was in Highland Gardens a couple days, we stayed at the Pinnacle on Fuller, the Oakwoods, all those places that every Canadian actor goes to. But then I rented a house, and it was me, Dave Paetkau (“Flashpoint”), Nick Stahl, Jacob Tierney… sharing a house together, fresh off the boat from Canada. It was like, ‘The Canadians are here!’ We were so Canadian. I remember six of us went to a beach party in Malibu, it was our first party, next door to Di Caprio’s house or something like that. I was like, ‘I’m in Malibu, this is overwhelming.’ I knew at that point, looking around, this is going to be a fun ride. I was like, ‘I’m in.’
“It was emotionally hard, because I was close with my family, just to leave home, you never think about the day, when you do it’s a tough thing. My parents come down to Los Angeles a lot.”
About Tyrone
Tyrone Warner has been with CTV.ca since 2005, covering news, entertainment and everything related to CTV. When he’s away from the computer, you can find him writing, recording and performing his own music, running his own record label and dabbling in photography, painting and creative collage. Follow him on Twitter!
and it made me like his character Adam even more 
