Whether you are a regular fan of CSI: New York or not you might want to watch the show this coming Wednesday as Crawfordsville High School graduate D.J. Elliott will be making his major network debut.
Elliott, the son of Dale Elliott, of Crawfordsville, is a 1994 graduate of Crawfordsville and has been in Los Angeles for the past 7 1/2 years trying to make it into the television industry.
In Wednesday's episode (Jan. 21) he plays the role of an assistant wrestling coach. Due to network obligations nothing else about the episode can be released.
D.J. is excited about his first major network role.
"The first one is the hardest to get," he said "It's big for a couple of reasons. First, it's major network TV and second now all the other casting directors in town can see your. They can critique your role and see that you handled the work, you were professional and maybe next time they have a part you might get a chance to read for a part. I'm hoping this leads to some other things."
It is tough getting a break in the industry and for Elliott this was the ninth time he read for this particular casting director.
"It was getting frustrating driving in for all of these reading, but never getting a job," he said. "I felt good about this one and it all worked out. I am pretty excited and very much appreciative of the chance."
While this is his first network role, Elliott has been keeping busy - mostly with pilots. He has been working for one pilot in particular - Engaged (which has now had the name changed to Act of Love and Sex) - since May of 2007.
"It was put on-line in May of 2007 and then after about 19 months we just did some more shooting this week," he said. "That has been my biggest role so far. I was reading six or seven pages a day for that."
That work can be seen at get.engaged.tv.
For now Elliott, who is a doorman at a nightclub in Los Angeles to help pay the bills, is hoping he is on the doorstep of getting constant work in the industry.
CSI: New York can be seen locally at 10 p.m. on CBS.
The Paper of Montgomery County 101 W. Main St. Suite 300 | P.O. Box 272 Crawfordsville, IN 47933 Main: (765) 361-0100 • Classifieds: (765) 361-8888 • Fax: (765) 361-1882
