Rodriguez: It's Mind-Blowing

See Also: 'No Man's Land' Episode Guide

One CSI: Miami actor got cast without a try-out.

Miami's Adam Rodriguez (Eric Delko) didn't have to audition for his role on the show. "I had a meeting with the creators, Ann Donahue, Anthony Zuiker, and Carol Mendelsohn," he told the CSI Magazine. "They had seen my demo reel and we sat down and talked for about an hour." The creators saw something they liked in Rodriguez. "I had a great meeting and really got along with everyone," he continued. "About three weeks later, they were trying to decide whom they wanted to cast. It was between me and two other people. I got offered a sitcom on NBC and they had to make up their minds by a certain time and they did."

Before starting on Miami, Rodriguez spent time with those who knew about forensic science firsthand. "One of the staff writers, John Haynes, was a technical advisor when we started out, and would give us the rundown on how certain procedures work, and looking like you really do this for a living," Rodriguez said. "We had some minor training but as far as handling a weapon, I had done other cop shows before so I was pretty well versed. Like everything else, you learn a lot as you go along. Different situations come up in [different] episodes and there are always things to learn about."

Losing friend and colleague Tim Speedle (Rory Cochrane) had a big effect on Rodriguez's character. "For Eric, that was definitely tough," he said. "If you watch those older episodes, the two characters worked a lot together. We had a real rapport and one of the best things that has happened to me from this show is my friendship with Rory Cochrane. To this day, we still hang out often, talk regularly, and I am going to his house for dinner tonight. That added to the difficulty of having to say goodbye to him and the character. Unfortunately, that relationship has not been forged with the other characters."

Ryan Wolfe (Jonathan Togo) took Speedle's place, but Eric didn't strike up a close friendship with the other man. Instead, a tense relationship developed, due in part to Wolfe's role as Speedle's replacement on the team. "I had fun playing up that rivalry and Jonathan Togo did too. Like anything else, it is still there although it has quelled a little bit."

The actor liked the addition of Eric's sister Marisol Delko (Alana De La Garza), but he wished things could have lasted longer--including Marisol's relationship with Eric's boss Horatio Caine (David Caruso). "I really did enjoy the time Alana De La Garza was here and exploring that brother and sister dynamic. I really thought it would have lent itself to a lot of good drama being that she ended up marrying Horatio. I was disappointed that storyline ended when she was killed."

There was another storyline that Rodriguez would have liked to explore more: the aftermath of Eric getting shot in "No Man's Land". "I was really curious to see how it was going to play out, like, 'Wow! What else would happen to this character? My sister died the year before and he's just had one thing happen after another!' But I was excited because I thought it could be something really challenging to pull off and more ammunition when I come to work," he said. "The way it happened was dramatic although I would have liked more follow through on how it affected Delko more in the physical sense. I thought my recovery was a little speedy but it has made for some interesting possibilities."

One of those interesting possibilities was Eric having hallucinations that Speedle was alive and aiding him during an investigation in "Bang, Bang, Your Debt". "Him coming back stems from the bullet still lodged in my brain from where I got shot," Rodriguez explained. "I thought it would be really cool if the hallucinations of him were something that happened regularly and Speedle kept guiding me along in a way. Hopefully viewers liked that and want to see more of it."

Another thing fans might like to see more of is Eric's relationship with fellow CSI Calleigh Duquesne (Emily Procter). The two have chemistry, Rodriguez said, but they haven't explored a romantic relationship. "Both of the characters have been there for each other when they really needed one another," he said. "There has always been a strong friendship and attraction but it has never been fully delved into. It is almost one of those things where these two people work together, and it is probably best not to explore what is there any further for the sake of not having it get in the way of their work life. They would be afraid it would ruin everything."

Rodriguez enjoys knowing that the show has millions of fans. "CSI: Miami gets seen by so many people around the world so to think you touch that many people is mind-blowing," he explained. "It is a good feeling [when] the work you are doing is being seen and appreciated."

The original interview is from Issue 5 of the Official CSI Magazine, which is in stores now.

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