Burn Notice is back on USA for its third season that will open up Thursday January 22nd at 10PM EST. Veteran actor Bruce Campbell's first acting credit on IMDB dates back to 1972 and this 50-year-old actor continues working and he’s loving life right now because he is an important cog in a very successful television show.

“But look, it’s fun to be a part of a project that has been accepted. As an actor, we tend to work pretty hard on TV shows. They’re non-stop for a long time and you never know, you’re acting in a void; you never know what the reaction is going to be. And it’s just nice to come across a show like Burn Notice that has caught on and it’s grown every year. So hopefully this new batch of episodes coming in January is going to be something they’re looking for,” Campbell said.

In these uncertain times television shows sometimes get cancelled because of economic reasons and not because it’s a quality show. Campbell understands that.

“I’m surprised by everything these days because you never know. My basis for accepting this script when it came across my desk was I loved the fact of what it wasn’t," he said honestly. “It wasn’t a cop show, it wasn’t a doctor’s show, it wasn’t a lawyer show. There’s plenty of stuff that goes on, but this is basically the human side of spies and I went, right, I can get into that. And I really enjoyed the fact that it’s a good blend of a show that does have strong main characters, and not a lot of them. It’s got four main characters. And that’s what the emphasis is. And oh yes, stuff blows up and every week there is a caper where you defeat the jerk of the week. But I think it’s mostly you watch these characters from week to week, and that’s what I enjoy. And that’s what appealed to me and that’s what keeps me interested in the show is it’s not really about the explosions, it’s about the people who are doing the explosions."

Don’t worry if you’ve never seen the show because Campbell believes you can join right in without missing a beat.

“Well, I think if you come into the show late, you’re going to be okay because they always do enough recaps to kind of fill you in. And the lead character, Michael Westen, has very heavy voiceover, he’s kind of guiding you through the show, so I think you’re going to be fine. He’s going to give you any kind of recap that you need to jump in. And those people that have followed everything, I think they’re going to be all over it because they’ve been waiting for it for, whatever, four or five months now.”

Campbell known for wit enjoys the challenges of working in Miami.

“To try and figure out how to sweat less,” he kidded talking about his biggest personal challenge. “No, I would say just to keep Sam interested in the stories and participating on stories. If the writers do most of the work, which they will then do that, that they’ll keep the character engaged. And if the character’s engaged, then it’s easy for me to be engaged in the character. So hopefully whenever Sam was around in his portion that he’s involved in something or has an opinion about something or whatever. No actor likes to just sit around. So as long as it’s the same as the first two seasons, I’m good to go.”

For those wondering if there is a sports cross-over there will be an episode you won’t want to miss. Cowboys legend Michael Irvin will be making an appearance.

For fans that think Bruce is like his character Sam, think again.

“Well, that’s always a tough call. Actors can’t escape their own physical being. You’re always going to see Bruce Campbell there doing whatever. I don’t drink as much as Sam does and I don’t womanize as much as Sam does because I’ve been married for 17 years to the same woman. So, it’s always fun to just let loose. Sam is a much more relaxed character than me. I live in the Pacific Northwest and by the time I show up in Miami this March, I’m going to be white and pasty and I’m going to be squinting at the sun because it’s been raining and snowing here in the Pacific Northwest.

“So I’ll go back down to Miami, I’ll strip my work boots off, my jeans off and get back into that character, get back into that basically removing clothing. You know, I get my t-shirts off, I get my flannel shirts off and start getting back in flip flops and shorts. Because I literally live at the complete opposite end of the country and it’s a huge adjustment every year, but it kind of cracks me up that people perceive me as this kind of, hey, beach guy with a beer in his hand and I’m kind of the opposite. I’m such a woodsy guy. I like mountains and streams and rivers and lakes.”

These days everybody seems to be getting a DVR, so between that and new media options it has affected the way some fans watch television.

“Oh, I think it’s easier. Definitely. Between YouTube, just Internet stuff, it’s easier. Well the trick, though, is to find out how to tell people that you want to tell, the people that you want, you’ve got to find out what they’re watching and how they’re watching it. Are they watching it live, are they streaming it, are they downloading it, are they doing a DVD the first season? Are they TiVo’ing it? There’s so many ways now,” Campbell said like a seasoned actor. “So I’m glad that people don’t have to sit down, love to have them Thursdays at 10, but it doesn’t matter as much as every year goes by, because now they’re factoring in the TiVo ratings, thank God, because our ratings actually go up. Look, the average person, I have to say, I think the numbers are way off, still. I think 30% of America is not watching live TV, maybe more, and every year it’s going to change. So I just hope that we all as a show and as a network that we stay on top of it and figure out how to find these people who are watching it in different ways.”

Check back for more interviews regarding Burn Notice throughout the season. Check out the trailer