Non-MX Interviews: Lauren Lee Smith (11/08 CBS)


CBS 11/15/08: Lauren Lee Smith

CBS Stars: You Ask, They Tell. Lauren Lee Smith

Q: What's it like being the newest addition to the CSI team?
A: I feel very fortunate, really. At the end of the day, I'm very, very lucky. The entire cast and crew, everyone was so welcoming, and made it such an easy transition. And it's so great coming into a show that has already set itself up, and the production quality, everything across the board, everyone there knows exactly what they're doing. And so you come in, it's just a well-oiled machine. And it's really nice to be a part of that, and to just come in and be able to do your work and go home at the end of the day. So it's great. It's really great.

Q: What attracted you to the role of Riley?
A: She is...you know, I really love her sense of humor. She's never at a loss for words, and she always has something witty and wry to say to everyone. So it's really fun, sort of getting to challenge the authority figures as well. Like, to come on and butt heads a little bit with Grissom, she does things her own way. And it's really fun, each episode, to get the new script and to see what the writers have done. And I think they've created a really interesting character that we really haven't seen on CSI yet. So it's good to be a part of that.

Q: What's it like working with this phenomenal cast and crew?
A: Oh, it's just, all across the board...my first day, my very first scene, Billy Peterson came up to me and just gave me a huge hug and said, "Welcome, we're so happy to have you joining our team." And the whole crew has been just...it's been such a lovely experience, and every single one of the cast members at some point has, they've all come up and welcomed me in their own way. And I'm very grateful to all of them for that. And also just sitting back and getting to watch all of them work. I mean, they all know what they're doing so well a this point. And it's great to learn from them as well.

Q: What do you think is the secret to the success of the show?
A: I think part of it is, again, the production quality of the show is so high. So it always looks phenomenal. I think the writers do such an incredible job of, week to week, bringing the stories to life. And they're never at a loss for outdoing each other and getting creative, and at the same time, keeping a sense of reality. We have the technical advisors there every step of the way, making sure that what we're doing is as truthful as it can be for television. And I think it's a very well put together formula, basically. And I think that's sort of why the show is, and continues to be, so successful.

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