ERIC SZMANDA AND VALERIE RAE MILLER
AT THE 101 COFFEE SHOP ON FRANKLIN AVENUE

Can success stories really be this simple? ERIC SZMANDA made such a great impression on execs during his pilot guest stint on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" that they kept bringing him back; he's now a series regular as the loopy forensic lab technician Greg Sanders, and the show has gone through the ratings roof. Later this year, Szmanda will be seen alongside Shannyn Sossamon in Roger Avary's Rules of Attraction, based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis.

"I've given up on a lot of cafés," he says. "There are too many people sitting around with laptops. I'm afraid the radiation is going to get to me. But there's one little place called Aroma where I can find some peace and quiet. It has nice outdoor seating for hot summer nights."

When not at Aroma, Szmanda kills time at his house in the Valley, which includes some new favorite pieces of furniture, like a two-seater egg chair with speakers inside, from Room Service in Los Angeles, and a kitchen table from Metropolis Design on La Brea. The current homebody says, "It sounds boring, but it's been refreshing not to feel pressure to go out when you can just have your friends over."

PROJECT: Playing the twisted and eccentric forensic lab tech Greg Sanders on CBS's C.S.I. He'll also be featured in the upcoming The Rules of Attraction.
AGE: 26
QUOTE: "I guess I'd describe my personal style as punk meets prep. I have two friends that own and design this great label, L. Bionic, and they make a lot of my clothes. I've definitely learned since I've been in Hollywood that what you wear is what you convey, so I've started paying a lot more attention to what I wear, but I still don't believe in dress codes, dressing to impress or blatant logo advertising."