Marg Helgenberger as Catherine Willows

Born on November 16, 1958 in North Bend, Nebraska, Mary Marg Helgenberger was raised in a Roman Catholic household and studied at North Bend Central High School, where she was a member of the marching band. In her teen years, she spent her summer vacations working at a meat packing plant where her father had a job.

Helgenberger began her career by appearing as a local news weather girl under the pseudonym, Margi McCarty. While she was a student at the University of Nebraska- Kearney, she performed in a production of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. A talent scout for the drama series Ryan’s Hope was impressed with her portrayal of Kate, and in 1982, Helgenberger became the third actress to play Siobhan Ryan Novak on the soap opera. In addition, it was on the set of Ryan’s Hope that she met her current husband, actor Alan Rosenberg. They tied the knot in 1989 and a year later, welcomed their first child, Hugh Howard Rosenberg, into the world.

Since then, Helgenberger has built an impressive resume of award-winning and critically-acclaimed performances. Her portrayal of KC Koloski on the television series, China Beach, earned her 3 Q Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Drama Series, a 1991 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini- Series or Motion Picture Made for TV and a 1990 Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Her current role in the television series, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, has also garnered her critical recognition. For her performance as CSI Catherine Willows, Helgenberger has received 2 Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, 2 Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series- Drama and a 2002 Golden Satellite Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Series, Drama.

As for the big screen, Helgenberger’s film credits include In Good Company, Bad Boys, Blind Vengeance, The Cowboy Way, Species, Species II, Mr. Brooks and Erin Brokovich (for which she received a 2001 Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actress- Drama).

(Photo courtesy of CBS)