Dr Gilbert ‘Gil’ Grissom
Making a TV show is a bit like cooking the perfect meal. There has to be a range of ingredients that work together in harmony to obtain perfection. Great plots, brilliant writing, stylish direction and tight editing are all of major importance but none of this matters one little bit if the audience doesn’t click with the characters.
A huge part of CSI’s popularity is owed to the cast and the characters they portray. Week after week CSI fans all over the world tune in because they genuinely care about what happens to our heroes. Let’s meet them.
Dr Gilbert ‘Gil’ Grissom (William Peterson)
Somewhat of a messiah to fans of the show and without doubt one of the greatest characters ever written. Grissom may no longer be with the show but his legacy still lives on. Grissom is a forensic entomologist with a degree in biology. Always a consummate professional and a source of inspiration to his team, nobody will ever come close to matching his level of detail and love for all things scientific.
Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger)
Willows' has had a pretty tough life. Born in Las Vegas, she was raised by a single mother who worked as a cocktail waitress and Las Vegas showgirl. Despite possessing superior intelligence the young Catherine dropped out of school and fell into the world of exotic dancing. She spent years supporting her deadbeat boyfriend.
After being convinced to return to school she achieved a degree in medical science. This enabled her to start her career as a lab technician. She eventually moved up through the ranks and is now a CSI level 3. It hasn’t been easy to juggle her career while being a single mother but her dedication to her craft and her family are second to none.
Nicholas Stokes (George Eads)
Nick is a native Texan and the son of a judge and a lawyer. Growing up among seven siblings he was constantly trying to claim the spotlight. He stood out through superior academic and athletic merit. He started his career as a cop before moving up into the Dallas crime lab.
Once he moved to the Las Vegas crime lab he never looked back. Well liked, respected and with a reputation as a bit of a ladies man that sometimes can get him into trouble, Nick has established himself as probably the most extrovert of the team.
Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox)
Sidle was handpicked by Grissom himself to join the Las Vegas crime lab. She started off originally as a materials and element analyst for the San Francisco crime lab. Extremely dedicated to her work, Sara will pretty much do anything it takes to achieve justice for the victims. Her social life suffers heavily because she surrounds herself with her work.
More than once her emotions have landed her in trouble, especially when dealing with domestic abuse cases. Questions about her past have surfaced recently after she left the team following a tough case. We know that Grissom and her are now married but we still aren’t sure about the ins and outs of that relationship. Only time will tell.
Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan)
Warrick was a charismatic and intelligent member of the team before his death at the start of season 9. He died in Grissom’s arms in an emotion soaked episode. Warrick came to work at the Las Vegas crime lab after being chemistry major. His strength was in audio-visual forensics.
His life within CSI has had many ups and downs and without the love and support that Grissom showed him he wouldn’t have lasted 2 seconds. His major flaw rested on the fact that he was a recovering gambling addict. The worst place in the world to be if you have a gambling problem is surely Las Vegas. When he died we learnt a few secrets that had never surfaced before. The major thing being that he was a dedicated father to a much-loved son.
Greg Sanders (Eric Szmanda)
Born in California the young Sanders was an excellent Eagle Scout. After being educated in a private school he had a brief stint with the San Francisco Police Department. He moved to Las Vegas to join the crime lab as a DNA technician. After a while as a technician Greg found himself wanting more and so put forward his name to move into actual crime scene investigation.
His intelligence isn’t just in forensics’ having proved himself by writing a book based on his passion on the history of Las Vegas. His naïve youth and over-the-top character traits often earn him a dressing down from his bosses but his dedication is apparent for everyone to see.
Dr Raymond ‘Ray’ Langston (Laurence Fishburne)
Langston is the newest member of the team after coming into contact with them during a murder investigation. His father who was a soldier raised him in Korea. His father was a violent man and this character trait has affected Langston throughout his adult life. He is a former medical doctor and is desperate to repay the faith that Grissom has shown by hiring him in the first place.
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