Somehow, it's not too much of a surprise to discover that George Eads is from Texas. The 40-year-old actor, one of the lead characters on the top-rated CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, does, after all, have a bit of a swagger.
He's tall, has chiselled good looks, speaks with a reassuring confidence, and he's an affable fellow, the kind - as they say in Texas - you'd want to have a beer with.
Now in his eighth season on one of the most successful shows on television, Eads has every right to be confident. His character, Nick Stokes, is a key player on the CSI team, a practical and level-headed forensics expert who specialises in hair and fibre analysis, and who has fought demons of his own lately.
'I think they hired the right guy,' says Eads, referring to his longevity on the series. 'I'm very passionate about the show. It's my child
'To be able to give birth to a character like Nick ... in one respect you've got to play the same guy for eight years, and you can ask yourself, 'How am I going to make it fresh this time?'. But in another respect, it's a long movie, where I get a chance to mature and change and evolve.'
He conveys all the enthusiasm of someone who has just landed the gig rather than a man who has been essentially playing the same part for a very long time.