It's a little difficult to tell the good guys from the bad guys on USA's "Burn Notice," and that's one of the things that make the character-driven thriller unique.

When star Jeffrey Donovan was cast as the spy who is driven in from the cold, he knew a lot about Bruce Campbell, who was to play his unkempt cohort, Sam.

"I knew of Bruce," says Donovan. "... [N]ow that I've gotten to know him, I couldn't ask for a better co-star. And I'm sure actors say that all the time, but they're lying. I know all of them. They're lying. And this is the truth. You can't ask for a better actor coming from his huge career, to come and grace us on this show has been just a blessing for us."

But Campbell, the veteran actor from shows like "The Adventures of Briscoe County Jr." and "Jack of All Trades," says he knew "jack diddly" about Donovan. In the case of "Burn Notice," it was a case of choosing the right man for the right job.

"I just did enough research to find out a little bit about this Donovan guy. My research, I think, was successful in that it led me to the right direction and the right decision because I chose this show because of its unique nature. And what I also like about it, there's a retro feel to this show. There's a weird 'classic' feel to it. It's a little bit iconic. I like this show. I'm a fan of this show because I like the nature of it. It's not bitter. It's not jaded."

Campbell should know. He's been around the block more times than a school bus from as far back as his days with director-pal Sam Raimi and the "Evil Dead" movies. Campbell directed many episodes of "Hercules: the Legendary Journeys" in which he played the role of a villain, a character he repeated in "Xena: Warrior Princess.

Campbell has become a cult favorite among fans and filmmakers. Though he is a known scene-stealer, his proclivity for snatching the limelight doesn't rattle Donovan.

"Let me set the record straight," says Donovan. "You want Bruce Campbell stealing scenes on your show. I mean, you want that ... I'm the straight man, and you need someone like Bruce Campbell because he never does it so far that it detracts from the show or the scene, or the characters.

"It's a blessing that Bruce has stolen scenes in the past because it lends him an ability to come in here and do the same thing here."