It’s no secret that
CSI fans are intrigued by the upcoming season, mainly because of the addition of Laurence Fishburne to the cast. Fishburne replaces
William Petersen, who has played Gil Grissom since the show first debuted in 2000. Fishburne, whose character does not have a name yet, will be playing “a former pathologist who is now working as an itinerant college lecturer, teaching a course in criminalistics,” according to an official statement from CBS. Soon after it was announced that he would be joining the show, Laurence Fishburne participated in a press conference call and opened up about the jump from movies to television … or back to television.
Pee Wee’s Playhouse, anyone?
In the conference call, Fishburne was up front and admitted that he didn't know much about CSI before joining the show. When asked if he was a fan, he responded, "I am now. To be perfectly frank, I said to Naren [Shankar] and Carol [Mendelsohn] when we met here in New York that I felt a little stupid and embarrassed that I hadn’t watched the show prior to having a meeting with them. But I’m happy to say that the episodes they sent me to look at were really engaging and really wonderful and kind of dark and moody, like a lot of the work I’ve actually been involved in."
Stepping in for one of CSI's most beloved and veteran actors is no easy task and Fishburne said the he understood the big shoes he had to fill. "Brining new characters into such an established piece as CSI requires, I think, a lot of thought and consideration," he told reporters. "You have to consider not just the folks who work on the show, but the audience and a number of things." This is the movie star's first return to television since the mid-80s and he looks forward to coming back. "It’s going to be challenging," he admitted. "It’s going to be fun and it’s going to be exciting."
William Petersen will remain with the show until early next year but his final episode date has yet to be announced.
CSI will return for its ninth season on Thursday, October 9th and 9pm.
Which Pee Wee's Playhouse character would make a great crime scene investigator?
- Gina Scarpa, BuddyTV Staff Writer
Source: CBS, TheDeadbolt.com
(Image courtesy of IMDB)