Charley Koontz and his "CSI: Cyber" co-stars realized early on that starring in a show about taking down computer hackers would make them a greater target for such criminals.
Koontz, who plays the tech savvy Daniel Krumitz, had the "light bulb moment" while filming the pilot and speaking to Mary Aiken, a behavioral psychologist for the FBI who the CBS show is based on.
"I remember James [Van Der Beek] and I were standing with her and she was just telling us how easy it is to hack people. And we're like, 'You don't think because we're on this show that we're going to be more interesting targets for people, do you?' And she goes, 'Oh, for sure. 100 percent,'" Koontz tells Headlines & Global News in an exclusive interview.
The fourth "CSI" series follows the Cyber Crime Division of the FBI, which tracks crimes that start online and play out in the real world. These criminals use the computer as their choice of weapon rather than a gun, but Koontz says, "The person getting hurt is still a person."
The California native's world view has changed since starting the show and joked that he now lives in a state of "constant fear." It's not enough to close down his social media accounts like Twitter or Instagram.
"You figure out what the balance is between living in fear or saying, 'That's the cost of doing business,'" Koontz says. "It's like stepping outside and getting hit by a bus. That doesn't mean I can't go outside. You become more mindful, and believe me, I have become more mindful."
The storylines may jolt the audience out of their comfort zone, but viewers can feel comforted by the people telling these stories that hopefully will have some real-world application. "CSI" creator Anthony Zuiker heads up the new installment alongside producers Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue, Jerry Bruckheimer and showrunner Pam Veasey, who have all played a part in creating the franchise over the last 15 years.
"It's impossible to not look at their track record and say, 'I think we're going to be OK.' They invented the genre of this kind of procedural," Koontz says about the production team. "The other shows ran for so long that this feels like an opportunity to do something cool and new."
Patricia Arquette, who plays team leader Avery Ryan, got the ball rolling when her character appeared in two episodes of "CSI." Koontz hopes the show can crossover again with the mothership show and maybe lend a hand on another mega-franchise on CBS.
"I want to do a 'CSI' and 'NCIS' crossover. I really want to meet Scott Bakula [from NCIS: New Orleans]. He's gotta need some computer help," Koontz says, laughing. "And obviously the regular 'CSI' would be awesome. There's no way that Ted Danson knows how to use a computer."
Koontz also sees the potential for a crossover with "Community," which he frequently guest stars on as "Fat Neil." He hopes the comedy, recently located to Yahoo, can work with the forensic science procedural in a similar way to its season three episode, "Basic Lupine Urology," which was presented like an episode of "Law & Order."
"Community" and "CSI: Cyber" shot on the same studio lot, but Koontz couldn't say if he'd return for the new season. He did make a trip over to see his friends Joel McHale and Jim Rash, and has gone to see Alison Brie's band, The Girls, perform.
Koontz will next star in the movie "Road to Juarez," which hits theaters on April 24. He shot the film nearly three years ago with Walter Perez. Inspired by true events, the two actors play low-level thieves who get pulled into a dangerous heist on the Mexican-American board by an ex-con (William Forsythe).
"Walter Perez is a really great actor and William Forsythe is just an amazing, wonderful madman," he says.
Koontz finished shooting the first season of "CSI: Cyber" in January, and will be watching along with the audience to see where the show goes next. "We'll just ride the wave, see what works and hopefully get an opportunity to make more," he says.
"CSI: Cyber" airs on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on CBS.
