Sinise: It’s Going To Be A Seamless Transition

CSI: New York’s leading man Gary Sinise (Mac Taylor) enjoys filming in New York City, and he’s confident that CSI: New York can survive the loss of Melina Kanakaredes (Stella Bonasera)—but don’t expect him to whip off a pair of sunglasses any time soon.

Kanakaredes left New York prior to the start of season seven, and she was replaced by Sela Ward (Jo Danville). Combined with the show’s new Friday night timeslot, a major cast change could spell trouble for the series. “Well, the franchise is strong,” Sinise told Pop Eater. “It’s a very solid formula on our show. People loved Melina on the show, and I think they’re going to love Sela. It’s going to be a very seamless transition. I’ve seen the first episode, and while it’s different, it’s really, really good. Sela comes into the show as if she’s been doing it for a long time.”

Unlike new lead-out series Blue Bloods, New York doesn’t film in the Big Apple. Most scenes are shot in Los Angeles, California. However, the crew does visit New York City to film certain scenes. “We only come once a year,” Sinise explained. “We used to come twice a year, but then they started cutting the budgets down, so now we come once a year. We love coming to New York and shooting there. I wish we could do it more, but we are based here in Los Angeles and it’s expensive to come.”

Sinise doesn’t have a shtick like fellow franchise leading man David Caruso (CSI: Miami’s Horatio Caine)—and he probably won’t come up with his own version of Caruso’s iconic sunglasses. “Look, he made that into a thing and God bless him,” Sinise said. “He’s turned it into an Internet sensation. No, I’m not jealous of him or anything. We’ve got a good show going, and people seem to enjoy the characters on our show. Who knows? If our show stays on the air long enough, I might have some funny little thing I come up with.”

The full interview is available on PopEater.com.