Exclusive Interview: Eric Szmanda Talks CSI: Vegas, His Character’s Exciting Return, and What’s Ahead

For over fifteen years, Eric Szmanda captivated audiences with his breakout performance as Greg Sanders in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. So fans were ecstatic when he made his epic return to the franchise in this season’s CSI: Vegas. Pop Culturalist recently caught up with Eric to talk about stepping back into Greg’s shoes, where his character has been, and what’s ahead for him. Plus, Eric chats about his work behind the scenes as a producer and the teachers who inspired him to become a storyteller.

PC: You recently reprised your role as Greg Sanders in the CSI franchise. How did that come to fruition? What was it like getting to step back into the shoes of a character who has been so integral in your life?
Eric: We’ve been in discussions about Greg Sanders coming back to the CSI franchise for a while. It just happened when it felt right. It was amazing for me to get the opportunity to breathe some life into this character again. I’m incredibly grateful to the network and the producers for giving the fans the opportunity to see Greg again.

I prepared for it by enrolling in acting classes because it’s been a while since I worked. I really wanted to make sure that I was prepared when I showed up on my first day on set. I came in at Episode 17 of the second season. The rest of the cast and crew had been up and running for a couple of years. So I wanted to freshen up on the history of the show and Greg as a character and his storyline.

I was able to find a plethora of information online and timelines of Greg’s whole life and all the major events and every bit of information that he ever revealed about himself. It was really fun to revisit all of that.

PC: Perfect segue to this next question. As you said, you did tons of research to prepare. Did you learn anything new about Greg? I know that you were able to draw some parallels between your own life and where we find Greg. How helpful was that as you prepared to step back into his shoes?
Eric: It’s been eight years since Greg has been seen by audiences. I imagined that Greg had spent the last fifteen years of his life working at the Vegas crime lab. He was kind of a prodigy. He went through an accelerated education and immersed himself in this career from a young age. It was a parallel to my own life because I became a series regular on the show in my early twenties. The show ended short of my 40th birthday. Greg and I needed a break to figure out what we wanted to do when we grew up.

Greg has other interests. It was revealed in the first series that he was a writer and had written books about the Vegas mob history. In my first episode back, it’s revealed that Greg had been focused on his writing during the time he was away. But secretly, Greg missed the crime lab and has kept his credentials up, just in case the opportunity presented itself for him to come and fill in or take a position in the new setup in the crime lab.

Then one day he gets a call from Dr. Maxine Roby that her night shift supervisor is taking maternity leave and she’s asked him to come in. Of course, he jumps at the opportunity.

PC: You have a multi-episode arc this season where you can’t say too much, but what can you tell us about what fans can expect from Greg?
Eric: Well, Greg is at a crossroads in his life. He’s wondering if there’s still a place for him in the crime lab or if his skills and talents are better put elsewhere. I’m hopeful that there’s a future for Greg at the Vegas crime lab. I really enjoyed working with the new cast. Paula Newsome and I hit it off. Lex Medlin and I both graduated from the same acting school. Matt Lauria was in the original CSI. I’ve known him since then. Sarah Gilman and I had some mutual friends. I went into this not knowing what to expect. But I was welcomed by everyone, and many of them expressed their desire for Greg to come back as well. It would be a shame if this is the end for him.

PC: The fans have loved the dynamic between Greg and Penny. What has it been like getting to collaborate with Sarah?
Eric: Sarah’s an incredible person. She’s an old soul. As I was saying earlier, we had some mutual friends. I knew a little bit about her going into this. On my first day, she was eager to run lines and talk about our scenes. I’m always happy to do that. We sat in the CSI break room and ran lines. Our first scene wasn’t until a few days later, but we were both very prepared for it.

We were able to play with it when we were on set because we had already worked through a lot of the moments together. One of the big moments for us is when Penny brings up Locard’s Exchange Principle. Every contact leaves a trace. When we were rehearsing it, I said, “It would be cool if we actually said what Locard’s theory is.” We went to Anthony [E. Zuiker], the writer, and said, “What do you think about this idea?” He really liked it. I’m really glad that we got to do that because that was the moment where it clicked that Greg and Penny are on the same level.

PC: With social media, you get to see the fan response in real time. Have you had a chance to look at what your character’s return has meant to a new generation of fans?
Eric: I’ve been paying attention to it. I never took advantage of social media when I was on CSI. In the last several years, social media has become an important and useful tool for actors to promote their work. I was excited to take advantage of that this time around. I can not be happier with the response. It’s flattering, and I hope the producers and network are paying attention to it because the fans have definitely expressed themselves and I really appreciate it. I hope they keep doing it.

PC: CSI: Vegas has already been picked up for a third season. If we’re lucky enough to see Greg come back for Season 3, is there another character that you’d love to see him reunite with? Is there anything about him that you’d like to dive further into?
Eric: I don’t think there’s been a whole lot of exploration of Greg’s writing career and why he’s been away from the crime lab for so long. It would be nice if there was a bit more of an explanation or more to what he’s been doing for the last eight years.

I would love to work with Jorja Fox again. She was in the first season. There’s definitely an open door for her to return. Also, William Petersen. It would be great to have him come back at some point as well.

PC: You’re such a dynamic storyteller. What’s left on your bucket list?
Eric: It’s been my dream to produce a TV show. I produced a documentary last year. I had a small part in it, but I was lucky to be invited to join the team. I’m really glad I did because the film experienced a lot of really great success. I would like to parlay that into producing my own work that I get to act in. I do have a couple of ideas in the oven. One is a film script that a couple of my friends wrote that I’d love to produce and act in. Another project is a play script that another friend wrote. We’re actually going to have a reading of it for a potential director soon. I’d like to keep exploring producing more and merging those worlds together.

PC: You’ve had so much success throughout your career. Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Eric: I’m grateful that you asked that question because it does tie in nicely to Greg’s story arc. When I came back to set, especially working with Sarah’s character Penny, I realized that the tables had turned for Greg. He’s no longer the youngest one in the lab. He’s one of the most experienced. He’s kind of a teacher.

I have a great deal of respect for the whole learning process. Even in all fifteen years on CSI, I never stopped learning. I have so much respect and appreciation for teachers and the people who take on the role of teaching. Greg has taken that role as he becomes a supervisor. I’ve been able to reflect and think about the teachers who have influenced me.

Grissom was Greg’s greatest teacher. But my acting teacher in high school, Diane Heagle, is the reason why I’m still doing this. She encouraged me to do so way back then and even encouraged my parents to let me move to California to pursue acting because she thought I had what it takes. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know what would have happened with this career.

To keep up with Eric, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch new episodes of CSI: Vegas every Thursday at 10/9c on CBS.

Photo Credit: Piper Ferguson