A Conversation With George Eads

A Conversation with George Eads
(Shorty Austin)
TNT

Q: How did you get involved in this project?
A: I knew about this project early on, and I read for it while doing CSI. I really liked the script and the character of Shorty. After I read and didn't hear back, I tried not to think too much more about it, though I really wanted to do it. While I was in Montreal doing another film, Tom called and pressed upon me how much he wanted me to do the project. We talked about it for about 45 minutes. When I was a kid we played cowboys, which is actually what we're doing here, so it's been a lifelong dream to do this.

Q: So many of your fans know you from CSI. How much fun was it to play a cowboy?
A: It's great. I could say it's fun, but that does no justice to how exhilarating it really is. At the end of the day, so many memorable things happened that I really had a hard time going to bed at night. I was usually in bed just tossing and turning with a smile on my face, and I would think "today's the best day" or "it can't get any better," and the next day would be even better. The first few days were spent feeling each other out, but after that it was like summer camp.

Q: Being from Texas, is playing this part second nature to you?
A: Being from Texas, I've been on a horse, but I wasn't really a horseman. The wranglers were so good and so patient. On the first day, I just told them that I don't mind if they laugh at me -- just don't do it right in my face. I think they've made me quite a horseman, so I kind of want to get a horse now.

Q: How was working with Tom Selleck?
A: Being a fan of Tom's work, I still found it weird seeing him on a horse in person. In this movie he played friend and rival, but Tom is really a disarming guy. Right away, he made me feel that there was no difference between us. He even told me that he was a fan of my work. Still, when I saw him on top of the horse it was kind of like, whoa.

Q: Tell us about this character you play.
A: Shorty Austin is a short-tempered young cowboy whose temper gets him in a lot of trouble. Not really thinking, he gets in with the wrong group. The biggest challenge for me on this film was to go from light to dark. I played a character who fell from innocence on to extremely difficult times.

Q: There is a great chemistry between the guys on screen. Was it like that off-screen as well?
A: It was a really cool deal. I think that genuinely getting to know these guys and really caring about them just added so much to the story. Everyday we got to know each other that much better.