Checking In With Numb3rs Star Dylan Bruno

While FOX’s American Idol and ABC’s Dancing with the Stars pull in big ratings, CBS has gone the slow and steady route investing in scripted shows like the prime time leading Numb3rs, which features Dylan Bruno as FBI detective Colby Granger. The strategy has paid off. Produced by Tony and Ridley Scott, the crime drama centers on a team of FBI agents led by Special Agent Don Epps (Rob Marrow) who utilize the mathematical equations and concepts provided by his math wizard brother, Charlie, (David Krumholtz) to help unlock complicated clues and solve crimes. Bruno’s character, recently thought to have been a mole when it was later revealed he was a triple spy, has struggled to earn back the trust of his fellow agents. And yes, the equations used on the show are valid and applicable to the case at hand.

I met Dylan Bruno in May of ’94 in L.A. while he was on a “ski bumming” break after college. Shortly after arriving, he landed a GM commercial where he was spotted by Steven Spielberg who signed him to a development deal and cast him in DreamWorks’ first television series High Incident and later in Saving Private Ryan. We hadn’t seen each other in 15 years when we linked up for a “catch-up’ pool side at the SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills:

How has graduating from MIT with a degree in environmental engineering helped you in you role? Can you actually understand those complex equations?
Conceptually I’ve studied most of the theorems that come up on the show. A lot of the time what I’ll do is I’ll come home after work, get on the Internet and research things and jog my memory and have a lot of fun with it. It really does takes me back to my college days. I miss that stuff to be honest with you.

Have you had the opportunity to work with Tony or Ridley?
In the season four premiere, where it was reveled I was a triple spy, Tony came in and directed. I had auditioned for him years ago for Enemy of The State and he offered me a part but I wasn’t able to do it because of a scheduling conflict. I always regretted not being able to work with him. So it was really cool to have him come back to a show I was doing nine years later and have him direct me in an episode that pretty much centered on my character. He is an amazingly enthusiastic and infectious guy; his energy just rubbed off on the cast and crew and it was a great way to start back.

Any scoop on tonight’s season finale?
Well they try to end each season with a cliff hanger… and this time we have a long awaited cliffhanger involving Charlie (the math guy) and his love interest.

And for season six?
The network came down to the 100th episode party we had this season and told us that we were the first show they know of in history to, in its fifth season, actually grow its viewership by 18 percent. I guess it's pretty standard for shows in season five to start notching down 20 percent a year. So it seems to indicate we’ll be back next fall. But you never know what’s behind schedule decisions.

To see what’s behind the Numb3rs tune in tonight to CBS at 10 p.m.

Photo by Phil Smrek