Mac is back! Gary Sinise talks about "CSI: New York"
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Gary Sinise made a name for himself in hit movies such as "Forrest Gump" and "Apollo 13," and in recent years, the Chicago-born actor has found even greater fame on TV as detective Mac Taylor on CBS crime drama "CSI: New York," which returns to airwaves this Friday.
Sinise, whose credits include "The Human Stain" and "The Forgotten," talked to Reuters about making the show, his charitable group, "Operation International Children," and playing music with his Lt. Dan Band, named after his role in "Forrest Gump"
Q: CBS moved your airdate and sometimes that has mixed results. How do you feel about the change?
A: "Great. I think CBS has a lot of faith in the show, so moving us from Wednesday to Friday night is fine. They want to make room for some new shows but they know we're very strong."
Q: What can fans expect this season?
A: "The big news is Sela Ward joining. She's terrific and she's slid into the show very easily, and our focus is on introducing her character. And we have some great guest stars appearing, like Edward James Olmos. The writers have some great stories, so I feel it'll be one of our best seasons ever."
Q: How much of you is there in your character Mac?
A: "He's got a lot of integrity and I like to think we share that (laughs). He's honorable and straightforward, and though he's different from me in many ways, I love playing him as he's a great leader and mentor. I also like the military aspect, as I've met a lot of great leaders in the services."
Q: Do you believe, like Mac, that 'everything is connected,' or that life's events are more random?
A: "Maybe a little bit of both. I remember that line in 'Forrest Gump,' talking about destiny and so on. That's how I feel about it -- it's a little bit of both."
Q: Is all the technology, like the virtual MRI, real?
A: "Most of our stuff is either real or based on emerging technology. I don't think there's anything on our show where you could say, 'Well, that could never happen!' It's all reality-based."
Q: Ever get grossed out by all the dead bodies?
A: "Yeah! (laughs). It is about murder and there's some pretty gruesome, graphic stuff. I'm always shocked at what we get away with on TV. When did it become so easy to show someone's brain splitting open or their guts hanging out? It's horrible! But, unfortunately, our show shows a very dark side of life."
Q: You shoot in New York, a raucous town. Ever have problems with fans while shooting on the streets?
A: "Sure! Occasionally someone will walk right through a scene and scream and yell something. It's New York, and they don't care! So then we have to re-shoot. But generally people are very respectful and we have a lot of fans there."
Q: You've been on the show since 2004. What's the secret of its success?
A: "I think while it's told through the eye of the forensic scientist, it's also got a style and class to it that makes it great to watch and we try to do it in a sexy, entertaining way. It's very popular all over the world -- it's now in 200 markets. A year ago I was at a little gift shop on the DMZ between North and South Korea, and this busload of Japanese tourists arrived, spotted me and they all freaked out! So I had to take about 40 pictures with them, as they were huge fans."
Q: Tell us about "Operation International Children."
A: "I started that back in 2004 in order to provide our troops with school supplies they can give to kids in Iraq. It was set up after I'd visited Iraq a couple of times and visited schools out there, and I've been quite involved in that and also visiting hospitals and playing concerts for the troops. I have a lot of military in my family, and I just wanted to do something."
Q: And your band, the Lt. Dan Band, plays the concerts?
A: "Yes, I play bass and we go out and play a lot of USO and military-related shows and benefits -- about 40 shows a year. Check us out at ltdanband.com. All the money goes to charity and supporting the troops, and I love doing it. But I won't be giving up my day job! (laughs)"
. I know it was just a short piece but I'm really liking Jo. She has a presence about her and kind of "goes" with the NY vibe but at the same time brings something new. Kind of difficult to explain sorry 
