MELINA KANAKAREDES - STELLA BONASERA

On season three:

MK: It’s always fantastic when an audience lives through an experience with an actor. Because the audience saw Frankie’s relationship with Stella, they will understand the paranoia that sets in when she realizes someone is stalking her. You do have the ability to live the life of these characters. That’s the joy of working on episodic television. We start off season three showing that Mac has a girlfriend and we didn’t want to go right into a boyfriend for Stella, although I can’t wait until she has her next relationship because then I can tell that new person “hey I shot my last boyfriend.” We ended last season on an event that changed her life, and it stems into her work.

 In episode 306 entitled “Open and Shut,” Stella investigates a self defense case where a woman shoots her husband’s business associate and possible murderer in her apartment.

 It was great to watch Stella walk the line as a detective, but understand what it is like to be invaded in that way. She approaches this case with integrity. It’s those little moments that we as actors can’t wait to jump in to. When you get away from the procedural, it’s when all the pieces come together.

On the special effects:

 Everything we do especially in the special effects arena is exquisite. We make a mini movie each week. Our writers have really come into their own. The storylines are bizarre and clever. Early on, they had this thing where you could get a corneal image off a guy’s eye and I said “you can really do this?” You are always learning.

On Peyton and Mac’s relationship:

 The audience needs to know certain secrets; it adds to the dynamic of the show.

On Peyton and Stella’s confrontation in “Raising Shane” Episode 311:

 (When Hawkes is framed for shooting a bartender and then later sent to prison, the team takes to the street to set their investigator free. A surprise visit from Shane Casey later explains the death of a man at a peep show and Hawkes’ compromising situation.)

 Stella and Peyton’s confrontation is not personal. The run-in is what’s best for the victim, which in this case is Hawkes. When one of your teammates is suspected of something you know is not possible you get into it. The racism element is huge too. They basically picked up an African American that was on the street without looking too far into it. I think we are hitting on some great elements. The conflict lies within the situation, which is different than two chicks yelling at each other. Its not soapy - its integral to the storyline.

 We were challenged in proving him innocent and Stella won’t stop. In the end, she goes back to get him and it’s a wonderful resolution. There is always a through line for every character.

On “Hung Out to Dry” Episode #304:

 It never ceases to amaze me how gross and realistic the makeup effects are. We had just come back from hiatus, and the first day on the set there is a guy attached to a tree with spikes in his eyeballs and I thought well, I’m back at work.. I was scared at first, but then his cell phone rang and I got my grounding a bit. I jump at certain parts of episodes. Even though I was there and I filmed it - when I watch it I still get scared.

On the violence associated with the job:

 You have to put yourself in the situation. Once you do research, and see what other human beings can do to others, your eyes are opened. My kudos to those who do this for a living. They need to build a wall to do it every day. When Stella is affected by something her wall comes up too. If I had to take it home everyday, I’d go nuts. I think that’s why she got together with a bad guy. In her personal life, she just shuts out the violence and her guard goes down.

On CSI: NY:

You get your script two days before you shoot. You do your notes and go through it. You start on Monday at 6:30 a.m. and by Friday it’s 10 a.m.. Fridays can go seventeen hours. Because it is more of an ensemble show you get more of a break. You have to balance everything. It’s very time consuming. If you don’t want to do another season, you have a lot of people holding on and trying to figure out what they are going to do. You are responsible for others.