A.J. Buckley Talks of CSI: NY Death, Supernatural Afterlife
A.J. Buckley
This week, fans of A.J. Buckley are due for double their pleasure. In addition to catching the actor on CBS' CSI: NY (where he plays lab tech Adam Ross), Buckley will reprise his role as one of Supernatural's "Ghostfacers," the CW series' version of Ghost Hunters. We invited Buckley to tease what's ahead for each of his very different alter egos.
TVGuide.com: Thank goodness for Adam Ross' street hockey hobby. It sure put him in the right place at the right time a few weeks ago.
A.J. Buckley: Isn't it crazy how that happens? It felt great just to get out of the lab, but then to also get such great material to work with, and the explosion, and doing my own stunt.... I've really been excited with where they've taken Adam this year. They're sort of peeling the layers back.
TVGuide.com: Will we learn more about Adam this season?
Buckley: Honestly, every time I read a script, he gets a bit more defined. He's coming into his own. He's going from being that nervous, wide-eyed guy to asserting him as an actual CSI team member.
TVGuide.com: [CSI: NY exec producer] Peter Lenkov recently told us that you and Melina Kanakaredes (Stella) "play nice together."
Buckley: We do. Melina is always fun to work with. They keep writing this thing where there is, like, a tension between us, and I guess it all started with some look I once shot at her. I'm like, "OK, I'll take it!"
TVGuide.com: A couple of fans seem to want an Adam-Stella hook-up.
Buckley: Adam needs some love. He had a girl at the beginning of Season 4, and now.... He works too hard, and he needs some feminine attention.
TVGuide.com: Does Adam have a take on the Danny-Lindsay baby situation?
Buckley: Adam's sort of childlike anyway about anything, so he's very excited — and probably nervous for them, as well.
TVGuide.com: Might Adam be made an honorary godfather?
Buckley: I am not, but there is an honorary. I can't tell you who, though!
TVGuide.com: Speaking of things you can't talk about, let's discuss the season-finale death that reportedly will "forever change" CSI: NY....
Buckley: Literally, when I found out that something was going down, I didn't sleep that night. The god's honest truth is that none of us know [who is being killed off]. We have no idea.
TVGuide.com: You're saying that at this moment [March 20], nobody on the cast knows who's dying?
Buckley: Not one person. We have all been buzzing on the set, "Who is getting killed?" It's created so much anxiety! It could be any one of us. I'm terrified to open up the [season finale] script when we get it in a couple weeks. This is such a family, it will be devastating to see anybody go. No joke, I will cry, I'll be so bummed.
TVGuide.com: Turning to your side gig: How do the "Ghostfacers" figure into this week's Supernatural, seeing as how Sam and Dean are living these sorts of alternate lives?
Buckley: It's because the Ghostfacers are the real deal, the tour guides of the spirit world! [Laughs] No, it actually is really nice how they bring it together. Dean and Sam are sort of lost and when in doubt, who do you call? You lean on Ed and Harry, the two most reliable ghost hunters in all of ghost-hunterdom.
TVGuide.com: Is it up to you to bring Sam and Dean back to reality?
Buckley: I wouldn't say it's up to us; we're basically the goofy version of a shaman. We're there for what we think are the right reasons, but Ed and Harry and Sam and Dean never see eye-to-eye.
TVGuide.com: We asked TV's actual Ghost Hunters about you, and they are definitely fans.
Buckley: Are they really? Before we shoot Supernatural, we'll watch their shows. [Sci Fi Channel's] Paranormal State and Ghost Hunters are the shows we watch.
TVGuide.com: This episode was written by Sera Gamble, versus Ben Edlund, who penned the Ghostfacers' debut. Did that give it any different a feel, since Sera doesn't usually do Supernatural's lighter episodes?
Buckley: The great thing about what [series creator Eric] Kripke allows the Ghostfacers to do is they'll always write a great set-up for us, and then we get to "play." Sera wrote really great stuff for us, and then the director let us add "Ghostfacer flavor" to that, by riffing and improvising. [Co-executive producer] Phil [Sgriccia, who directed the Ghostfacers video within the episode] was crying with laughter so loudly that it ruined the scene. I'm pretty lucky to work on both CSI: NY and Supernatural. Not bad gigs!
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