Echikunwoke Is 'Lucky'

By Rachel
November 24, 2008 - 8:05 AM

It's not all about death and tragedy.

Megalyn Echikunwoke (Dr Tara Price) is the newest addition to the cast of CSI: Miami. In order to prepare for her role as the team's resident medical examiner, Echikunwoke visited a coroner's office. She wanted to know how the real medical examiners could deal with the tragedies. They explained to her that they look at it as a job. "You're getting a job done, and you are trying to figure out what happened to this person," the actress explained. "If you don't do that, then you're doing them a disservice, so that's the least that you can do for this person who's just had this tragic end." The coroners impressed Echikunwoke. "I think it takes a really special kind of person," she said.

Echikunwoke enjoys working with the cast and crew of the long-running series, including the show's leading man, David Caruso (Horatio Caine). "I love them, I think they're fantastic," she said. "David was really helpful in the beginning, very warm and helpful." Caruso also gave Echikunwoke a hand with getting into the Miami groove. "He also helped me sort of find the tone of the show because he was sort of instrumental in creating it, so who better to sort of lead you in the right direction than him?" She explained.

The actress doesn't know exactly what is in store for the rest of the season. "I'm just as surprised as anybody else when I get the scripts and I discover the gruesome ways that these people die, so I'm just as excited to learn as you are," Echikunwoke explained. In the meantime, she's having a good time working on the show. "I'm so excited," she said. "I feel so lucky to be a part of this cast."

The original interview is courtesy of CBS and can be watched below: