Anna Belknap interview

"Home For The Holidays"

Siegel and Belknap Chatting amiably over coffee and tea in the Uptown Caf�, onlookers hardly took notice that one of the stars of CBS’ crime drama “CSI:NY”, Anna Belknap was in the room.

It’s not surprising since the lovely, petite Belknap, relaxed in her hometown of Damariscotta, is unrecognizable as the intense investigator Lindsay Monroe she portrays on the program.

Anna Belknap and her husband Eric Siegel have just come from an enjoyable speaking engagement before an eager audience of Lincoln Academy (Belknap’s alma mater) performing arts students.

The couple is in town to share the holidays with their family, and were all smiles when describing the home they now own in Waldoboro with a water view.

How much time will they spend in Maine? “Well, we’re hoping for about a month a year,” said Belknap.

Anna Belknap’s parents, David and Louise Belknap live in Damariscotta, and Anna was asked what they thought of her choice in the beginning of her acting career?

“They have always been very supportive, but I think they were certainly nervous about me going to New York. I never felt that, but I think they did. And, in the beginning, it’s about starving.” While working toward a full time acting career, Belknap waited tables and checked coats.

The Siegels were asked if they were living in New York on 9/11.

They were living in Brooklyn at the time, and Anna was working and about to film a scene, when she was told by a personal assistant that a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers. “We immediately thought it was just a small plane, but when we found out what was really happening, I immediately tried to call Eric.”

Belknap explained that she wasn’t able to get through, but did contact her Dad, who in turn got her the message that Eric was fine.

“Everyone was just so terrified,” recalls Belknap. “You have to understand that we thought every day that something else was going to happen. People were afraid to ride on the subways. We all felt that we were living in the bulls-eye.”

Eric recalls seeing the debris cloud and office memos floating down from the towers. “I remember the stench; there was a horrible odor for months afterwards. I’ll never forget it. Everybody was just freaked out and subsequently very depressed.” Siegel said that many suffered from traumatic stress and for weeks after the attacks, were terrified. “There were subway and anthrax threats. And, today the frame of reference is still so strange. You were able to look around and see the towers and know where you were; but now the skyline is so changed.”

Now, years later, Belknap’s acting career is taking off and they’re living in Los Angeles. “It’s great. You can’t beat the weather. And, I’ll always love New England. There is a lot of driving, though. It’s a huge spread out metropolitan area, so you’re always driving.”

Since it’s his hometown, Los Angeles is great for Eric, too. “I’m writing a pilot with my partner and we’ve got an agent. It’s being written for NBC and we are just waiting for the phone call.” That phone call will hopefully mean that NBC wants Siegel’s pilot produced, and what’s it about? “It’s a family comedy, about a guy just trying to figure out being a dad.”