Eddie Cahill

[CSI Files]

As Detective Don Flack, Jr., <font color=yellow>Eddie Cahill</font> often gets the best one-liners and the most exciting chase scenes. But season three gave him a serious storyline--a clash over a complicated case with serious repercussions with a colleague, and season four has brought romance--and more adventure--into his character's life. Before heading off for a location shoot, Cahill discussed the latest developments for his character with CSI Files' <font color=yellow>Kristine Huntley</font>.

CSI Files: So you're headed off to Chicago to shoot some scenes for an upcoming episode. How long are you going to be there?

Eddie Cahill: Just a day. Fly one day, shoot [the next]. We're going to do two scenes. The 333 storyline takes Mac (<font color=yellow>Gary Sinise</font>) to Chicago and I go there at the request of Chief Sinclair (<font color=yellow>Mykelti Williamson</font>).

CSI Files: Will that add tension to Mac and Flack's relationship since Sinclair is asking Flack to go with Mac?

Cahill: I think they've really done well with Sinclair in really incorporating him as more than just this domineering disciplinarian. It's funny, even after last year, I really like the relationship that's developed between my character and Gary's character in that it never really struck me as out and out animosity. The shit never really hit the fan. It was just a matter of two guys coming together from different points just trying to do the right thing, and finding that balance. There was a progressiveness to the conflict that kept it away from just being like, "Now you've pissed me off so you're no longer my friend." So it's an extension of that same kind of [thing]--the characters tend to come together well in tough situations. And there's a confidant thing going on.

CSI Files: In addition to telling him about the 333 caller, Flack was the one Mac turned to in "Down the Rabbit Hole" to confide in about his break up with Peyton (<font color=yellow>Claire Forlani</font>). Do you feel like this newfound rapport between the characters is just a natural progression from moving past the conflict?

Cahill: I think so. I don't know how the decision necessarily got made [for Mac to confide in Flack] but if I take a step back and look at it, I think there are probably more similarities between the two characters than may be initially thought in that they both in their own different ways take the job quite seriously. Not that the rest of the guys are out there goofing off, but I think there's a defined principled approach that I think each of the two have. Whether they're coming from the same place or not, I think they have in common the inspiration behind the way each of them behaves. I think there's a real common ground there that's not as obvious.

CSI Files: You did a really great commentary for the season three DVDs on the episode "Consequences", where the whole conflict with Mac began. How did you end up doing that?

Cahill: That was fun! I've never done that before. <font color=yellow>Pam [Veasey]</font> just called me and just asked. It was as simple as just sitting there and watching it and talking about it. That was a good time.

CSI Files: One of the things you mentioned in that commentary was that the conflict between Mac and Flack wasn't really played as a father-son thing with Mac, but rather two colleagues with two very understandable and sympathetic perspectives clashing. What were your thoughts about the conflict as it progressed?

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[Elsie]

What a fantastic way to start a Monday morning! Thanks so much Kristine.

That was really interesting, some great upcoming stuff for Flack, and Eddie seems like such a nice guy. It's great to get his take on the character and his relationships with the rest of the team. What he said about Mac was very interesting, and the deeper common ground and principles that the characters have...

Cahill: I don't want to offend the writers, but I actually struggled saying 'girlfriend' because I think 'girlfriend' was a nice way of putting...

CSI Files: Fling?

Cahill: Yeah, kind of. I sort of felt that way. There were a couple times I had tried to put it differently and then they had asked me [to use the word girlfriend] for whatever reason

Haha. It came across as strange on screen too... :lol:

But I do like the potential Angell flirtation, I hope it comes across as well on screen. They are a couple I would be interested to see together.

I think if you were to leave Carmine and I in a room together, it could get nuts! I don't know if [what we'd come up with] would make sense, but it would be fun for both of us.

:lol: I wouldn't care if it made sense, go for it boys! *wants more Eddie/Carmine ad-libbed scenes*

Man, my stunt double last night made me look like a ninja!

:lol: And I really hoped that he did his own stunts...

 

[LivingEnd]

Great interview as always Kristine. It’s indeed a great start in the week.

Eddie gave some interesting answers. It’s good to see that he doesn’t see Devon as Flack’s girlfriend too. And his take on the whole conflict with Mac last season was quite interesting as well.

Elsie said:

I think if you were to leave Carmine and I in a room together, it could get nuts! I don't know if [what we'd come up with] would make sense, but it would be fun for both of us.

:lol: I wouldn't care if it made sense, go for it boys! *wants more Eddie/Carmine ad-libbed scenes*

I agree with Elsie. I wouldn’t care if it wouldn’t make any sense as long as it is as hilarious as the “has she teeth“ part. :lol:

And it’s great to read that he enjoyed filming the bar scene in Comes Around because that was definitely one of my all time favorite scenes to watch.

 

[Lessien_Tinuviel]

I must say I let out a triumphant "Hah!" when he was talking about the whole girlfriend thing, and that he felt that Devon was more of a fling than a real relationship. I am consoled, LOL.

I can't wait to see this scene! I wonder what Flack ended up doing...

Cahill: There was one we shot we shot the other night which first comes to me. There's a scene where I come into a guy's apartment who we traced back to the crime scene. There was an explosion at the crime scene and as a result, his hearing is impaired. So I'm behind him with my gun trained on him, giving him the whole, "NYPD! NYPD!" And I'm walking up to him and walking up to him and finally I'm like, "Can you hear me?" and I tap him and he jumps up and spins around and he's like, "I'm sorry! I can't hear anything!" And I won't tell you what I did, but there's a moment after that that was born in the moment.

I think it'll be fun to try and spot which shots are of Eddie and which are of his stunt double in the scene he describes below. I'm really curious to see what he meant about the ninja thing. :lol:

Man, my stunt double last night made me look like a ninja! [Flack's] becoming a bit more 'run and gun'; he's gotten more physical.

Thanks for the interview, Kristine! The questions were great, and Eddie's answers were fantastic!

 

[Lorelai]

Thank you Kristine!

Eddie proved one more time that he truly is amazing!It's great hearing ( reading) his take on Flack and his relationships on the show.

CSI Files: Did you enjoy playing the scene in the bar with Danny from "Comes Around"?

Cahill: I love that scene in the bar.

So do I! So do I!

CSI Files: What did you think of the moment in the hall when Danny was teasing Flack about his "girlfriend"?

Cahill: I loved it! I liked one.

CSI Files: Was that ad-libbed at all?

Cahill: Yeah, we tooled it around. [The] "does she have teeth? [comment] was one we came up with together.

CSI Files: How did you guys come up with that?

Cahill: I forget what was there on the page, but it was close, it was a jab. We kinda got into the hockey thing and this and that, and then we just sort of came up with that. We just stood on the side and I'd say, "I met her at a hockey game," and he'd come back with something and I'd be like, "Try this," and then we'd do that, and we just went back and forth and then the cameras were rolling and we'd try to have some fun. That was fun!

I'm glad it was Eddie & Carmine material right there. It was perfect. :lol:

I think if you were to leave Carmine and I in a room together, it could get nuts! I don't know if [what we'd come up with] would make sense, but it would be fun for both of us.

Hear that Santa? I want more Eddie/Carmine ad-libbed scenes! :lol:

Guess he knows about Flack's family as much as we do. That bad TPTB. Muy bad!

Cahill: That's interesting. I think there's an impulse behind Flack: give and you shall receive.

Awwww! Eddie that is so beautiful. And, yes, it defines Flack pretty good!


Thanks again Kristine!

 

[Springmoon]

Yay! What a great way to start and end the weekend with these two interviews! I love the additional character clarifications between Flack and Mac, Flack and Hawkes, Flack and Angell, Flack and Stella, Flack and Danny... only one we're missing are Sid and Adam. Get Sid and Flack in a room, and that would be one hell of an interesting conversation!

Cahill: I don't want to offend the writers, but I actually struggled saying 'girlfriend' because I think 'girlfriend' was a nice way of putting...
CSI Files: Fling?
Cahill: Yeah, kind of. I sort of felt that way. There were a couple times I had tried to put it differently and then they had asked me [to use the word girlfriend] for whatever reason. And I didn't question it at the time necessarily, but I just sort of instinctually tried to shy away from saying girlfriend because it seems so [formal]. To me that rang as an established title, and I don't think the intention even from the writers was ever to make her an established woman in Flack's life, but it was the word they chose to use.

Funny how that discomfort was so clearly translated onscreen. And it makes me wonder why the writers wouldn't allow him to substitute something else for it?

The dynamics of the relationships between him and Carmine again show up in his interviews. It's great that they get on so well off-set because when it comes time to ad-lib the funnier stuff, it appears effortless.

Again, great interview, Kristine!

 

[Faylinn]

Wonderful interview, my lovely. *smooches* I always love reading the actor interviews.

The friendship between Flack and Danny is one of my absolute favorite parts of the show, and I'm glad that Eddie feels the same way--it's always great to read about the way he and Carmine work together and how it comes through in the show itself.

I'm also chuckling about the Angell part--if Danny doesn't want to wake up and smell the roses, maybe it's better if Flack gets a little somethin'-somethin' from my girl. I like her, obviously, and I think that could be a good match--especially considering their similar backgrounds (without going into spoilers).

The fact that Eddie wanted to say something other than 'girlfriend' makes me laugh--poor dear, we didn't want you to say it either! :lol:

I'm looking forward to the episodes he was talking about, and seeing him and Mac do the scenes in episode 11. That's an interesting relationship, and I hope they continue to develop those types of interactions rather than romantic ones--not that I didn't love Flack in a tank top, but c'mon...

There were probably other things I wanted to say, but I've forgotten them now. :lol: I might be back.

Thanks for hooking us up, Kristine.

 

[Top41]

Thanks guys! I'm glad you liked it. Eddie is always so much fun to interview, and always has great things to say.

Faylinn said:
Wonderful interview, my lovely. *smooches* I always love reading the actor interviews.

The friendship between Flack and Danny is one of my absolute favorite parts of the show, and I'm glad that Eddie feels the same way--it's always great to read about the way he and Carmine work together and how it comes through in the show itself.

Yeah, it's obvious that they have fun doing those scenes together, and that really comes across so well. I love the emotional connection the two have, and yet, as Eddie says, they're friends outside of crisis mode, too.

I'm also chuckling about the Angell part--if Danny doesn't want to wake up and smell the roses, maybe it's better if Flack gets a little somethin'-somethin' from my girl. I like her, obviously, and I think that could be a good match--especially considering their similar backgrounds (without going into spoilers).

I think Eddie was excited about the potential there, too. It could be a really cool pairing I think.

The fact that Eddie wanted to say something other than 'girlfriend' makes me laugh--poor dear, we didn't want you to say it either! :lol:

I love that he was on the same page as the fans--the girlfriend thing didn't really fit, given the amount of times they'd been out, and the fact that she and Flack were so different. It's another case where the actor and the fans feel the same way, which is cool.

I'm looking forward to the episodes he was talking about, and seeing him and Mac do the scenes in episode 11. That's an interesting relationship, and I hope they continue to develop those types of interactions rather than romantic ones--not that I didn't love Flack in a tank top, but c'mon...

Just to clarify: the scenes in Chicago with Mac and Flack are actually in episode 10. I guess they had to wait to go on location for a bit for that one. The rest of the stuff is from ep 11, though.

Thanks for hooking us up, Kristine.

Anytime.

 

[MrsGiovinazzo]

Awesome interview, Kristine! Eddie always comes off sounding fantastic.

Gee, I wonder why he didn't want to use the word "girlfriend" in relation to that booty call he was hooking up with? :lol: It didn't feel onscreen like a girlfriend, so I really think the writers should have let him play with the word to find one that fit.

And speaking of playing, I thank Eddie profusely for that glorious little gem of a quote about being in a room with Carmine and it getting nuts, but being fun for them both. Um, yeah, Eddie, that'd be fun for us too.

Great interview!

 

[Faylinn]

Top41 said:
Just to clarify: the scenes in Chicago with Mac and Flack are actually in episode 10. I guess they had to wait to go on location for a bit for that one. The rest of the stuff is from ep 11, though.

D'oh! I knew that.

MrsGiovinazzo said:
And speaking of playing, I thank Eddie profusely for that glorious little gem of a quote about being in a room with Carmine and it getting nuts, but being fun for them both. Um, yeah, Eddie, that'd be fun for us too.

:lol: The man can't help but feed our obsession, can he?

 

[Lonia]

Again a fantastic interview! Thanks, Kristine! Eddie's answers are great. It's nice to hear what he thinks about different storylines and the relationships between the characters.

Mentioning that his stuntman makes him look like a Ninja made me laugh, I also had to smile when I read how he tried not to use the word "girlfriend". It's nice to see that he has the same opinion as the fans here.

It was really great to read the interview. You always ask the right questions

 

[Ceindreadh]

Funny how that discomfort was so clearly translated onscreen. And it makes me wonder why the writers wouldn't allow him to substitute something else for it?

Heh! The thing is though, what other term would be acceptable. 'woman that I want to shag senseless' is a bit of a mouthful, and I think that Flack would be too much of a gentleman to just describe her as his 'bit on the side'.
(and there's another less polite phrase I was going to use but which would definitly never be allowed)

 

[Top41]

Thanks guys! Yeah, I'm not sure what would have been an alternative to girlfriend--Flack is a gentleman, so I don't see him using the term f*** buddy, and there's no easy way to put it during questioning. So maybe the writers figured anything else would have sounded artificial. I totally get where Eddie is coming from though, and I agree with him--girlfriend was not the right term for Devon.

MrsGiovinazzo said:
And speaking of playing, I thank Eddie profusely for that glorious little gem of a quote about being in a room with Carmine and it getting nuts, but being fun for them both. Um, yeah, Eddie, that'd be fun for us too.

:lol: :lol: :lol: I'd love to see the video footage from that room. :lol:

 

[Kimmychu]

:lol: How about 'my date'? That would have sufficed.

 

[Top41]

^True. :lol: