Carmine Giovinazzo

Carmine Giovinazzo: (on learning that he got the role of Danny Messer) I think I was cleaning up some leaves in my back yard and I'll never forget it; I got the call on my phone and I was so relieved to have a job. And a good one at that.

Carmine Giovinazzo: The best part [of playing Danny Messer] is getting to work with Gary Sinise every week and getting to act everyday. It's good, as an actor, to be able to do that.

Carmine Giovinazzo:: (about his band) [Our name] isn't definite yet. We're writing songs. We've got about eight or nine of them and when I get back we have to seal them up. So I'm really excited. That's what I ended up focusing on; I put aside business and decided this was what I was going to do. I've got a really good drummer and a really, really good lead guitar player. I'm playing guitar and vocals. It's going to be good.

Carmine Giovinazzo:: (Talking about an album from his or the band in the near future) We're at the point where we're just coming to terms with the songs ourselves as time allows. The next step then begins which is hopefully to play around town and then contemplate recording. As soon as we get to the point where we're happy with the music and we know the songs then we'll be able to do whatever we want, if we want to play or just record them.

Carmine Giovinazzo:: (On what city he likes to visit) Prague is a good place because it's calm there and everything is beautiful to look at. If you want to get caught up in just playing around at night and doing things, it has that, too. I like a nice balance of whatever it is that you want to do. Obviously, there are no beaches to lay out on, but as far as just roaming around, going at your own pace, it kind of felt easy there. I wasn't rushed and it didn't seem hectic like Paris might have been.

Carmine Giovinazzo: I'm just a tea guy, if it's a rainy day, I'm just gonna stay in, I like tea.

Carmine Giovinazzo: Even though I played college baseball, I'm not Johnny Sports Talker. But there's something hot about a girl at a game with a hat on just sitting there enjoying it.

Carmine Giovinazzo: (On what drew him to his CSI: NY character Danny Messer) When the character came through, it was first and foremost being a native New Yorker. You'd be surprised how rarely those parts come along for me. When that came through, it was very exciting to see it. I couldn't wait to meet for it after I saw the character description. You're rarely in a position to pick and choose [roles]. I was up for a couple things around that time, so I was just looking for a job and this one was the most appropriate.

Carmine Giovinazzo: Most of my family are cops and I've talked to them about things in the beginning, questions I might have had [about] the way things are done and how to approach certain suspects during an interrogation--things like that.

Carmine Giovinazzo: (The biggest change since getting the role of Danny on CSI: NY) The fact that I'm now waking up in the morning, putting on a suit and tie and grabbing the briefcase and going to work. That lifestyle--that's probably the biggest change I'm adjusting to. It's kind of a claustrophobic feeling for me, the idea of committing to [that lifestyle]. It's not even 9-5 when you're working [on a television show]; it's 6am to 6 at night, or 9am to 9 or 10 at night. So that's the biggest adjustment. There's a grind and it's a lot of waiting--sure, you get a day off here and there--but I have to be here [on set]. Then beyond that, there's delivering this kind of material, which is a real challenge itself, this style of acting, which is its own entity. For the most part, it's just the challenge of the schedule.

Carmine Giovinazzo: (About his character Danny in CSI: NY) Danny and I have just enough in common... we're very similar and also extremely different.

Carmine Giovinazzo: I've been drawing since I was a kid... I'm inspired by you and everybody else... The differences between all of us and where we come from... there's so much to be inspired by it could be anything... I did have a show in LA... in 97... but since I've only been painting sporadically... so I'm waiting for enough output before having a show.

Carmine Giovinazzo: I'm trying to figure out how to have balance rather than work, work, work.