EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
An exclusive extract from an interview with Megalyn Echikunwoke (Dr. Tara Price), featuring in issue #8 of CSI Magazine…
In any profession, change is never easy, but it’s been particularly rough on the CSI: Miami team. Not long ago, Tim Speedle was gunned down in the line of duty, and last year, Dr. Alexx Woods left the job after her son was suspected of murder. To fill out the ranks, Ryan Wolfe and Natalia Boa Vista were brought on board, as well as recent addition Dr. Tara Price, played by rising star Megalyn Echikunwoke.
“I always had an affinity for the performing arts and practiced at it without knowing it,” explains Echikunwoke. “I was always making up characters and getting my brothers in trouble with fake crying. I would get into it and really go for it. While I always liked acting, I never thought it would actualize as a career. I didn’t really pursue it the way most people do. Luckily, it sort of came to me.
“What happened was one summer, I decided to go to theater camp in California, where I did this acting workshop for three weeks,” she continues. “This man, who is still my manager today, was in the audience scouting for talent. I got picked to do a monologue, plus a musical theater piece, and he thought I had something going on so he pursued me. I started putting myself on video for auditions and then I got a job.”
That acting debut was in 1998’s TV movie Peter Benchley’s Creature, but even with consequent recurring television roles in The 4400, 24, and That ‘70s Show, Echikunwoke admits the CSI franchise was never fully on her radar. “I can honestly say I knew of the CSIs, had seen them, but I’m not really a junkie for any TV shows,” reports Echikunwoke. “I didn’t grow up watching television because my mom didn’t really let us watch it. It never really occurs to me to flick on the TV. I don’t quite get the idea of keeping track of something and watching it regularly. I try though because there are shows like CSI: Miami that I really love. Now, I watch it regularly because I’ve upgraded my entertainment system.”
Even with only a rudimentary knowledge of the three CSIs, Echikunwoke soon found herself gravitating towards the procedural dramas. “The other CSI shows had shown some interest in me,” she reveals. “I had auditioned for each of them at some point and then for this part on Miami. Originally, I thought it was exciting but they sort of down-played it. They didn’t [lead me to think that] this character was going to replace the last one. Also, I didn’t really think I’d be taken seriously for the part because of the age discrepancy. When I went in for it, the casting director confirmed that, “Yeah, you probably aren’t right for it, but let’s have fun.” I decided to use the youthful aspect, inject a little humor into it, and add some color. I did that and it ended up working.
“It’s such a tight-knit, well-oiled machine, that when one cast member leaves, they have to be very careful and deliberate when adding another one out of the blue,” continues Echikunwoke. “If they’d thrown me in as a regular at the beginning and the audience hated me, it would have been difficult for everyone. It was probably smart not to make a big deal out of it until they saw how I was received. There is such a loyal fan base so you really want to make sure they are comfortable with the change. I’m glad they did it that way even though it was painstaking.”
Read the full interview in CSI Magazine #8
