On the hit show CSI, Eric Szmanda’s character Greg Sanders started out as an eccentric and light-hearted lab tech. Now his CSI character’s become a crime scene investigator, and has been involved in some rather grim storylines.
“I lost my outlet to be creative and silly and goofy,” the 31-year-old Szmanda says. How did he cope with this? He found a whole new outlet, partnering with a childhood friend, attorney Tyler Malin, to form a website called secretfuntime.com. Joining them is comedy writer Barry Holliday, who Szmanda found by using craigslist.org, saying they wanted to “sidestep the Hollywood system.”
Billed in their press release as “a next-generation late-night variety show for the Internet age,” the site features sketch comedy shorts, independent music, and celebrity guests. As time goes on Szmanda and his partners expect the site to become a community-oriented site, allowing visitors to upload their own videos.
Now in its tenth week, guests so far have included The Shins, Jeremy Sisto (Six Feet Under, Kidnapped), Emilie de Ravin (Lost) and Sarah Jane Morris (Brothers & Sisters).
“It’s a great way to express myself, and we’re having so much fun,” Szmanda told USA Today.
Szmanda says if he could have any celebrity guest on the show, he’d choose “Steve Martin. Maybe he’s even attainable, because we have the same lawyer.”
Szmanda hosts some of the shows, as well as appearing in them, playing characters like “Dope Ass Warrior” (pictured), a “reluctant hero with rock and roll dreams. Unfortunately, his warrior skills are quite a bit more impressive then his musical prowess.”
“Most show writers just sit around and try to come up with something that’s funny,” Szmanda says in one of the sketches on the site. “But we here at Secret Fun Time actually go out and find it ourselves.”
Eric Szmanda’s also just appeared as a presenter at the 42nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards show last Tuesday (May 15) in Las Vegas along with his CSI co-star Gary Dourdan.
(Not George Eads, as reported earlier – thanks for the correction, commenter Lainyboo.)
-Mel, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: USA Today, secretfuntime.com
Photo credit: secretfuntime.com
Staff Columnist, BuddyTV
