As Stella Bonasera, Melina Kanakaredes is known as the second-in-command in the New York Police Department's crime lab on CSI: NY.  Since 2004, she has portrayed the forensic character to exude a tough personality with a strong determination to solve crimes and help victims.  Nevertheless, she has become susceptible to ill-fated affairs that have often put her life at risk.

But after going through a string of bad love interests, including boyfriend Frankie, who tried to kill her, and stalker Drew Bedford, who attempted to get at Mac (Gary Sinise) by romancing her, the New York actress reveals that her character has had enough bad luck and is now ready for something good.

“Fortunately, no more bad boyfriends!  We got the bad guy last week [in "The Thing About Heroes"] but fortunately for Stella, she realized it.  She knew something was wrong with him all the way through, so I'm very happy about that,” Kanakaredes told CSI Files during an interview.

“I think it's going to be nice, too, because they promised me the next boy is going to be a good boy,” she added. “Whether we know him or not, that's the question!”

In line with her revelation, the possibility of eyeing a love interest for Stella among the male cast members of CSI: NY has roused some speculations.  Throughout the series, Stella has shown deep concern for all the members of her team.  While she has considered both Don Flack (Eddie Cahill) and Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) as very good friends, she remains to be very close to Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise), whom she constantly worries about.

When asked if there's a possibility that Mac and Stella's relationship will go beyond friendship, Kanakaredes says that the odds appear slim at this point.

“I don't know!  We'll see.  I don't think...maybe in season 9 or 10...that it could ever go [there] between Stella and Mac.  I think there's a brother/sister thing, and that they're tight and there for each other.  I don't know if it would ever be something romantic… I think it's something that neither would jeopardize,” she said.

While Kanakaredes remains optimistic of her character's future storylines, she also remains hopeful that the writers' strike will come to an end.  At present, the cast is working on the show's last written episode, which is the 14th episode of season 4.



-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: CSI Files
(Image courtesy of CBS)