CSI Files
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<font color=yellow>Hill Harper</font>'s character Dr. Sheldon Hawkes has arguably gone through the most dramatic change of any character on CSI: New York, moving from the morgue to the field at the beginning of the show's second season. Harper, whose credits include roles in the film Get on the Bus, the television series City of Angels and the HBO film Lackwanna Blues, discussed the reasons behind Hawkes' move from the isolation of the morgue to the field and how his character is adapting to his new job.
CSI Files: Your character left the morgue for the field at the beginning of the season. Are you enjoying the change?
Hill Harper: I definitely am. It's wonderful! Last year all the scenes were in the morgue, whereas now it's nice to be much more integrated into all aspects of the show, to have more interaction with all the different characters. At the same time, it helps Dr. Hawkes feel more a part of something rather than being isolated in the basement of the morgue.
CSI Files: Are you enjoying interacting more with the other characters and working cases with them?
Harper: I love it. Each actor and each character has a different dynamic. I really enjoy working with <font color=yellow>Carmine[Giovinazzo</font>, Danny Messer]. I think Hawkes and Danny have a nice kinship and a real nice chemistry. Working with <font color=yellow>Melina [Kanakaredes</font>, Stella Bonasera] is great because Stella has a wonderful joy and playfulness about her and Hawkes has a real joy and inquisitiveness about the science, so I think that plays very well. And then the stuff with <font color=yellow>Gary [Sinise</font>, Mac Taylor] is great--I think Mac and Hawkes is a great thing because he can teach me things that I would otherwise not know, but at the same time, he brings a seriousness, and Hawkes is serious about wanting to solve [crimes], so [they share a] gravitas, which is really nice. All the actors have different personalities. I worked with <font color=yellow>Anna [Belknap</font>, Lindsay Monroe] on a show called The Handler--we worked really close on that show because we both played undercover cops and we'd go undercover together. I love Anna and I love working with her and I'm so happy she's a part of the show. They haven't really paired us up much because Hawkes and Lindsay are both considered somewhat new in the field so I think they're going to wait a little while before we're paired up. But working with Anna will be fantastic.
CSI Files: Did you hear anything about Anna being cast in CSI: NY before the word became official, or did you have any input in her casting?
Harper: Anna is such a great actress that she can easily win any role on her own, but I certainly put the good word in for her because she's fantastic. When you do a show where you work so closely with people, hopefully for a long time, you hope to have the benefit of those people being great people as well, like we have on our show. It's just fantastic. <font color=yellow>Eddie [Cahill</font>, Don Flack]'s wonderful, Anna's wonderful, Carmine's great, Melina's great and of course Gary is one of America's finest actors, so it could not be a better situation to be on this show with a great cast. There aren't a lot of egos or backstabbing or fighting or stuff like that. Everybody's just really professional and really wonderful.
CSI Files: I've heard that about all the CSI shows, that everybody gets along and genuinely likes each other.
Harper: And that transfers to the screen, too. I think if you really genuinely like each other and enjoy each other's company, it transfers to the rapport you have on camera.
CSI Files: It seems like there's also an enthusiasm that comes with being the newest CSI show, and that comes across so well in the show.
Harper: That type of energy starts from the top down, with <font color=yellow>Anthony [Zuiker</font>, CSI: NY's showrunner], although he's been around--obviously, he created the franchise. I don’t think it's a function of how long you've been doing it, but it's really how passionate you are about it. Anthony is so passionate about the show and making it great, and that's why I'm so happy that he's with us. And <font color=yellow>Pam Veasey</font> is so wonderful and talented and such a great writer that she's super passionate. And Gary's super passionate. And Melina is into it and passionate about doing a great job. From the top down you have passion and joy and people working hard, so that infuses energy in all areas of the show. If people get jaded and cynical and tired, then that reads on film, and we have none of that anywhere in our show. None of the crew is like that, none of the cast are like that and none of the writers are like that.
CSI Files: Are you especially close with anyone off screen?
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To read the full interviews, please click here.<center></center>
CSI Files: Your character left the morgue for the field at the beginning of the season. Are you enjoying the change?
Hill Harper: I definitely am. It's wonderful! Last year all the scenes were in the morgue, whereas now it's nice to be much more integrated into all aspects of the show, to have more interaction with all the different characters. At the same time, it helps Dr. Hawkes feel more a part of something rather than being isolated in the basement of the morgue.
CSI Files: Are you enjoying interacting more with the other characters and working cases with them?
Harper: I love it. Each actor and each character has a different dynamic. I really enjoy working with <font color=yellow>Carmine[Giovinazzo</font>, Danny Messer]. I think Hawkes and Danny have a nice kinship and a real nice chemistry. Working with <font color=yellow>Melina [Kanakaredes</font>, Stella Bonasera] is great because Stella has a wonderful joy and playfulness about her and Hawkes has a real joy and inquisitiveness about the science, so I think that plays very well. And then the stuff with <font color=yellow>Gary [Sinise</font>, Mac Taylor] is great--I think Mac and Hawkes is a great thing because he can teach me things that I would otherwise not know, but at the same time, he brings a seriousness, and Hawkes is serious about wanting to solve [crimes], so [they share a] gravitas, which is really nice. All the actors have different personalities. I worked with <font color=yellow>Anna [Belknap</font>, Lindsay Monroe] on a show called The Handler--we worked really close on that show because we both played undercover cops and we'd go undercover together. I love Anna and I love working with her and I'm so happy she's a part of the show. They haven't really paired us up much because Hawkes and Lindsay are both considered somewhat new in the field so I think they're going to wait a little while before we're paired up. But working with Anna will be fantastic.
CSI Files: Did you hear anything about Anna being cast in CSI: NY before the word became official, or did you have any input in her casting?
Harper: Anna is such a great actress that she can easily win any role on her own, but I certainly put the good word in for her because she's fantastic. When you do a show where you work so closely with people, hopefully for a long time, you hope to have the benefit of those people being great people as well, like we have on our show. It's just fantastic. <font color=yellow>Eddie [Cahill</font>, Don Flack]'s wonderful, Anna's wonderful, Carmine's great, Melina's great and of course Gary is one of America's finest actors, so it could not be a better situation to be on this show with a great cast. There aren't a lot of egos or backstabbing or fighting or stuff like that. Everybody's just really professional and really wonderful.
CSI Files: I've heard that about all the CSI shows, that everybody gets along and genuinely likes each other.
Harper: And that transfers to the screen, too. I think if you really genuinely like each other and enjoy each other's company, it transfers to the rapport you have on camera.
CSI Files: It seems like there's also an enthusiasm that comes with being the newest CSI show, and that comes across so well in the show.
Harper: That type of energy starts from the top down, with <font color=yellow>Anthony [Zuiker</font>, CSI: NY's showrunner], although he's been around--obviously, he created the franchise. I don’t think it's a function of how long you've been doing it, but it's really how passionate you are about it. Anthony is so passionate about the show and making it great, and that's why I'm so happy that he's with us. And <font color=yellow>Pam Veasey</font> is so wonderful and talented and such a great writer that she's super passionate. And Gary's super passionate. And Melina is into it and passionate about doing a great job. From the top down you have passion and joy and people working hard, so that infuses energy in all areas of the show. If people get jaded and cynical and tired, then that reads on film, and we have none of that anywhere in our show. None of the crew is like that, none of the cast are like that and none of the writers are like that.
CSI Files: Are you especially close with anyone off screen?
<HR ALIGN="CENTER" SIZE="1" WIDTH="45\%" COLOR="#007BB5">
To read the full interviews, please click here.<center></center>
