Laurence Fishburne is joining CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as a series regular, CBS announced Monday.
The addition puts in place a successor for William Petersen, who has led the franchise’s ensemble as investigator Gil Grissom since its debut in 2000 and will leave as a regular after this season’s 10th episode.
Fishburne will be introduced in the ninth episode of what will be the ninth season for the CBS crime procedural. His character, a former pathologist and college lecturer on criminalistics, will cross paths with the CSI team and eventually join the Las Vegas Crime Lab.
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"CBS asked us, 'Who's at the top of your dream list?'” CSI executive producers Carol Mendelsohn and Naren Shankar said in a statement. "Without hesitation, we said, ‘Laurence Fishburne.’ He is a powerful and intense actor with an incredible range. We had the opportunity to see Mr. Fishburne in Thurgood on Broadway a few weeks ago, and it was a truly profound experience.”
They continued, “Mr. Fishburne is also a talented writer and director. If you distill CSI down to its essence, it's a collaboration, and we are so looking forward to collaborating with Mr. Fishburne. For all of us at CSI, this is truly a dream."
"I am elated and delighted to be joining the cast of CSI," Fishburne said in a statement. "I look forward to a wonderful collaboration with the creative and talented team of such a successful and distinguished show.”
The Academy Award-nominated and Tony Award-winning actor is currently appearing on Broadway in a one-man show about the life of Justice Thurgood Marshall.
