Big Ask: CSI's Adam Rodriguez

CSI star Adam Rodriguez talks about growing as an actor, landing a role in the Dark Knight Rises, and playing a male stripper.

switched on rod

HE'S renowned for his work on CSI: Miami strutting his stuff alongside "orange roughie" David Caruso. But Adam Rodriguez is also finding his wings as a big-screen actor, having won roles in new Batman movie Dark Knight Rises and Magic Mike, the latter based loosely on Channing Tatum's days as a male stripper.

The word is Rodriguez will show off his moves, and maybe more, as an exotic dancer in the movie.

Recent ramblings on Twitter have revealed how much attention he has had to give his physical appearance because of the role. He has tweeted: "Sacrificing 4 my art. About to get full body wax. Ladies, I literally feel ur pain. Ouch".

Q. You seem really happy. Do you think you've been lucky, working on shows that have been fun to be on?

Yeah. You can't ever hope to get everything you want in terms of co-stars, crew, directors, producers. It's impossible because there are too many egos in this business. But we (on CSI: Miami ) have been extremely lucky in coming together in a good environment. I'm honestly not just saying that. I'd avoid the question if it was something I wanted to keep quiet about. I know heaps of people on different shows and I know horror stories that go on with different sets. It's unfortunate if you have to come to work every day and feel as if you're in your own world because you don't want to speak to your co-star, especially if your co-star is somebody you work with all day long. That's a nightmare.

Q. The character you play on CSI ...

The fun in playing a character like him (Eric Delko) is he's so different. There's a realism. He may not know what he's talking about sometimes but he'll make you believe he does. He's a great bull-----er. It's a real gift and it reminds me of me because I am a good bull-----er myself.

Q. Was this character trait at the forefront of producers' minds when you tested for the part?

I brought something of my own to it, but they definitely wanted an atypical detective. They wanted a guy who thought differently, a Kojak with a soft heart. He's not stuffy.

Q. How tough is it time-wise in TV, where maybe you don't have the time you'd have in film to perfect a scene?

TV versus film, you have to do it (a scene) and move on. We, as actors (on TV), just have to be really prepared.

Q. Can you be objective in assessing the standard of your work?

It's always tricky when it comes to yourself. I'm the toughest critic on the planet. I'm a very competitive person so I always want to do better no matter what.

CSI: Miami, Channel 9, Monday, 9.30pm