If you are a CSI: NY fan, you will be glad to know that Carmine Giovinazzo, better known for his role as Detective Danny Messer, is in South Africa. In a sit-down with the actor, Debashine Thangevelo found out he is a pretty darn good golfer and was invited to the Gary Player Invitational...
ACTORS are sometimes so authentic in their roles you forget that they are merely depicting a character.
When I met Carmine Giovinazzo last Thursday, I had to shake off my expectation of finding hints of Danny Messer lurking about him. Although the hair and devilishly attractive scruffy beard bore some resem- blance to his popular CSI: NY character, this was simply Giovinazzo, the actor.
At 40, his lean frame indicates he clearly takes care of himself. Needing a break from a morning of interviews, photos and promo shoots, he decides to sit outside for our chat. Also, he has been dying for a cigarette and lights up after settling into his chair.
On what brought him to our shores, he says: “Yeah, this is my first time to South Africa. The Gary Player Invitational at Sun City’s The Lost City Golf Course; that is what got me here. Gary started the initiative and I wanted to meet him, hang out with him and get involved in his charity. It was an amazing five days.”
In case you are wondering, as far as amateur golfers go, Giovinazzo, who is overly competitive, is impressive.
He laughs: “My handicap – I would say I am about a six-ish. It is pretty good. But you always want to get better. It doesn’t last for long; it is a game, just up and down and up and down.
“Although I got two tips from Gary Player; I’m not going to tell you what they are.”
Laughing at how he sneakily bushwhacked my next question by simply gauging my piqued curiosity from my mannerisms, I asked him about his experience meeting Player.
He smiles: “I got the inside track, man, after playing two rounds of golf with him. It was really fun. He has a lot more energy than I do and he is nearly 80 years old. He is in such good shape, is so cool and funny. He is just a good guy.”
Back to his career. I quizzed him about playing a detective when, in real life, he comes from a family of them.
Laughing off the irony, he says: “I have a really supportive family. It is not big. My sister was a cop. My father was a cop, too, but not for too long, as he got hurt. It was my mum who got me reading and looking at life a little differently.
“To answer your question, I’m really lucky. Whatever I did, they were really supportive. I was always going 100 miles an hour, wanting to do everything. And that (support) is important in this business.”
Interestingly, he first appeared as Thumpy G, a street racing driver, in CSI (the original series) and also had screen time on CSI: Miami before bagging his key role in CSI: NY.
“Yep, the guy who directed CSI was the one I ended up going to audition for in CSI: NY. It was funny, he didn’t even f*****g know it was me. I didn’t even know it was him. But I played a funny character in CSI.
“He was Thumpy G, he talks like this (slipping into character) – you know what I’m saying?”
As to how being Danny changed his career trajectory, he reveals: “CSI: NY changed everything in a way. I didn’t plan on being in television. I did that one series (referring to Shasta McNasty) – I don’t know how that happened, too. I was cool doing independent films and whatever other films I could do. I looked at TV in a different way than I do now. TV is a whole other animal. Back then, it wasn’t good. It was getting better.
“There are so many different channels and different ways to get in there. It changes everything. Like now; here I am in Africa talking to you about the show.”
The actor tells me he never wanted his character to be the stereotypical cop. He wanted to depict him in a sort of light- weight, more humorous, light. He also loves the fact that he got to enact different traits as his character evolved into a family man, father and husband. He brought all the elements needed to the table to showcase his two worlds colliding.
The actor continues: “Most people want to play a tough cop and serious. With Danny, I proved he can be both and be funny.”
With the series ending after season nine, Giovinazzo says he decided to first take a six-month sabbatical before implementing his next plan of action.
“I’m looking to do a South African TV series about an American detective coming here, I’m putting the word out there,” he laughs.
On a more serious note, though, he says: “I took time off because I wanted to get away from it for a bit. Movies would be ideal – it is my dream to get some good films.”
Shedding light on the pull of the attractive TV landscape these days, he offers: “I would like to play a character like Dexter or the kid from Breaking Bad. Something that is just about life.
“Anything good… that is what I want to do.”
At some point, Giovinazzo says he would love to get behind the camera, too.
“I would like to do comedy,” he teases. “I’m very funny. Ha ha, I’m just kidding. I can never remember jokes.”
As to what he will miss most about CSI: NY, he says: “It was bittersweet. It kind of ended abruptly. That wasn’t good.
“I keep in touch with the ones I’m supposed to keep in touch with. It was weird for a while, going somewhere for 10 years and all of a sudden it stopped.”
He has, however, walked away having made some amazing friendships.
He nods: “I am just trying to get Eddie (Cahill) to play some golf. AJ (Buckley), I just went to his wedding. He and his wife are having a baby. Gary (Sinise) is always on the road; I have just spoken to him a few times, but he is always doing his thing. Sela (Ward), I was just chatting to now. So we are all good friends.”
But before pondering his next career move, Giovinazzo was excited about taking in the sights of the Mother City.
With our time over, he gave me a quick hug before being whisked off by the PR for his next interview.
• CSI: NY season nine airs on M-Net Series Zone (DStv channel 115) in May.