Eads And Coolidge Talk Business With Students

Students taking theatre and business classes at Capital Hill High School in Helena, Montana got to discuss the entertainment industry with CSI: Crime Scene Investigation actor George Eads (Nick Stokes) and director Martha Coolidge using the popular video chat program Skype on Monday, March 22.

The best part of being on a successful series like CSI, Eads revealed, is the steady paycheck; however, money was not his primary reason for pursuing an acting career. “Once I went to acting school I knew it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” he explained. Even so, the money Eads earns on CSI is a pleasant change from where he was when he first got the job. “I didn’t know where my next meal was going to come from,” the actor said of his situation at the time. “I went from having 12 cents to a quarter million—from zero to hero.”

For students who want to become directors, Coolidge explained that it is important to become established before trying to get into the field. “I highly recommend studying acting if you want to be a director,” she said, adding, “You can also establish yourself as a director by being a really good writer.” When someone is ready to become a director, she said, he or she must have a vision and go for it.