THE RACHEL RAY SHOW, TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW
Aired May 6, 2010
A clip of the interview can be seen on our YouTube channel: Marg’s Dating Scene Investigation on Rachael Ray
Rachael: Ten years! I mean, count ‘em, for ten years it has been at the top of television’s most watched shows. And it’s even created two spin-off versions of the original. But there has been one thing that’s constant about this show and it’s the powerful woman in the middle of a Crime Scene Investigation. Watch this…
(Clip of CSI is Shown)
Rachael: And she’s no ordinary woman! Please welcome back to our show, from CSI — Marg Helgenberger!
Rachael: Marg! You look hotter than ever!
Rachael: Ten seasons.
Marg: Can you believe it?
Rachael: I really can’t, man.
Marg: Nor can I sometimes. It’s just wow. Where did those ten years go?
Rachael: I know.
Marg: I mean, at times, it feels like an eternity…when we started. Then it seems like just yesterday.
Rachael: It really is. I mean, just as a viewer, it’s weird. But has it flown by as an actor?
Marg: You know, once the season’s done, it does feel like its flown by. But, like, when you’re in the middle of the season, like especially in January and February, it feels like, ‘Oh God!’ because it’s a long haul. It’s like ten and a half months.
Rachael: And they’re very long days, I can imagine.
Marg: Yeah. Not as bad as they used to be. The beginning of any new series is a lot of hours. We get it down to, like, twelve hour days.
Rachael: I do miss William Petersen, but I love Laurence Fishburne.
Marg: Yeah, I do too.
Rachael: He was just here. He was a mystery taster, and he was so much fun. I was surprised how fun he is.
Marg: Yeah, he’s funny. He’s cool. He’s a great actor – class act. He’s just been great. We’ve really enjoyed having him on the show.
Rachael: So you’ve really enjoyed finding a new group?
Marg: Yeah definitely. That’s why I think this season we really, I think we hit a new high or something. Because we’ve all sort of gelled as a group. Because last season it was the transition of Billy leaving the show and Laurence coming on. And I think this year we really got it because all the characters, his character, is more defined and the ensemble group is more defined too.
Rachael: It kind of shakes things up.
Marg: Definitely.
Rachael: Brings everybody, you know, especially after a decade, kind of snaps you out of it a little bit.
Marg: Yeah, definitely.
Rachael: So you, sort of like my husband, you’re a part time musician. You love to play the guitar.
Marg (laughs): I’d hardly say, I don’t even call it part time. I mean, I can play a few songs. But yes with the hiatus coming up, that’s definitely on the list is getting back into some guitar lessons. It’s fun, you know. With the guitar, only three chords and you can play a multitude of songs.
Rachael: You can play all the rock songs.
Marg: Yeah, and a lot of blues. I think it’s an easy…piano is a more difficult instrument, which I play as well, but it’s a little more complicated.
Rachael: Then you qualify as a musician if you can play more than one instrument.
Marg: But terribly – not well.
Rachael: I can barely play the drums, but I count that. My husband has a studio and I get in there and I’m like Ringo Starr.
Marg: Can you really play or are you just goofing around?
Rachael: No, well, I was trained by my husband’s drummer, who’s the Saturday Night Live drummer.
Marg: Oh, right.
Rachael: I mean, yeah. I haven’t gone to lessons in a while, but I can get through an AC/DC track.
Marg: Do you really? You play along to…
Rachael: That’s how I learned to play the drums, listening to AC/DC.
Marg: Which one?
Rachael: Back in Black was the first one he taught me on the drums.
Marg: I love AC/DC, that’s why I asked.
Rachael: You know, you’re back on the dating scene. Yes?
Marg: I am. I’ve been seeing someone since Thanksgiving actually. Around Thanksgiving.
Rachael: Wow, you’re like going steady! I was going to ask you how the single scene is, but you’re already hooked up.
Marg: Yeah, he’s not in the business.
Rachael: Well, that’s good.
Marg: Yeah. He just a lot of fun and sweet and cute and interesting. You know, he’s got all the qualities that keep me interested.
Rachael: I mean, he’s cute, but what was his sense of humor? Is he a great cook in the kitchen? I mean what made him dateable?
Marg: We were introduced through a mutual friend, and, you know, I actually opened the door, and he came into my house, I was like ‘Oh! He’s cute!’
Rachael: You’re like ‘Hi!’.
Marg: And then after just talking with him I was like, ‘Wow, he’s interesting!’
Rachael: Cute, interesting. Check…check. Done! Check, please! Right!
Marg: I was interested in seeing how it played out, yeah, after that first initial meeting.
Rachael: He’s been around for several months now, so he must be doing all right.
Marg: Yeah. Definitely yes.
Rachael: Is he a good cook? What are his hobbies?
Marg (laughs): No he’s not a good cook, not at all.
Rachael: I’m always worried about how people are eating. How are you two getting buy when it comes to your food?
Marg: He knows good food.
Rachael: Well, that’s good.
Marg: He loves good food. Yes, yes.
Rachael: As long as he can pick up a check.
Marg: Yeah, that he does.
Rachael: All right. I’m having all the fun, and Marg has graciously agreed to let the audience in on some of that fun. After this, a little Q & A with Marg.
(commercial break)
Rachael: So we’re back with the gorgeous Marg Helgenberger. We’ve been chatting it up, and we thought that the audience might like to get in on it. So we’ve got a couple of audience Q and A.
Rachael: Who’s going to go first? There you go. What’s your name?
Audience guest (Theresa): My name is Theresa. You’re a beautiful, powerful woman, and I wonder…you work in a pretty dominated male cast and I wonder how you handle all those men?
Marg: With a whip! (laughs)
Rachael: That’s hot, actually.
Marg: They’re very cool guys. We just have a lot of fun. I mean, honestly, we really like and respect each other. We laugh a lot. We laugh pretty much all day long.
Rachael: Yeah, I mean, that’s what really tripped me out about Laurence Fishburne. When he came out, I’m like he’s such a serious guy and all his roles are so heavy. And he sits down and he’s like — you want to barbecue with him. He’s so funny and laid back.
Marg: Yeah, He’s a consummate actor definitely.
Rachael: Who’s got our next question?
Audience Guest (Jane): Hi, my name is Jane. You’re beautiful and I loved you on Ryan’s Hope.
Rachael: And I’m thinking our audience is pretty hot too. Unbelievable. Right? Adorable.
Marg: Yes, definitely.
Audience Guest (Jane): You worked with so many great stars in the past. Is there anyone else that you would like to work with that you haven’t?
Rachael: Oh, that’s a good one.
Marg: So many. Gosh, so many. Al Pacino is the first one that comes to mind. I haven’t seen his Dr. Kevorkian but I really look forward to it.
Rachael: It’s fantastic, on HBO.
Marg: Beause he’s a real solid character actor despite that fact that he had that long career as a leading man. Viggo Mortensen, I’m a huge fan of. I love Catherine O’Hara actually. I’m sure you’re familiar with Catherine O’Hara.
Rachael: Wow, you really do have a long laundry list!
Marg: Oh yeah. It’s, I mean, I like my job. I love playing off of somebody.
Rachael: You know, you never think about that. You know actors and actresses, they’re fans too. Everybody probably has a short list of ‘yeah I’d really love to do a couple scenes with that person.’
Marg: Yeah definitely. There’s a lot of great actors out there.
Rachael: Who’s got one more?
Audience guest (Maria): Hi, my name is Maria. Do the cast members of all the CSI shows meet up or run into each other off set?
Marg: We occasionally bump into each other at various events and things like that. Some of them I’ve met before and some of them I’m just meeting then. I actually bumped into Gary Sinise one time at Universal studios, up the City Walk. I was up there doing a charity event and he was there. His son was performing in a band. It was just kind of fun we bumped into…
Rachael: Yeah, he is a musician too.
Marg: Yeah, that’s right. He’s got a band. Lt. Dan’s Band or something like that.
Rachael: That’s right.
Marg: I have actually have known Gary since he directed an episode of China Beach, which was my first series.
Rachael: Oh yeah. I loved China Beach. It was such a great show.
Marg: Thank you. Yeah, he directed that and we talked about it because we both had just had babies. And now my baby, who was with me at the time, was like fifteen, and his baby was up on stage playing. It was so cool.
Rachael: That must be so trippy for you guys, right?
Marg: Yeah, definitely.
Rachael: You won your first Emmy for that. You won an Emmy for China Beach?
Marg: For China Beach, yes.
Rachael: So Marg, of course, you can check her out on CSI. And I watch the CSI rerun marathons they have on.
Marg: Oh, are you one of those too?
Rachael: I love them.
Marg: People say they’re addictive.
Rachael: You get hooked because you just want to keep seeing the next crime scene.
Rachael: CSI, of course, airs Thursday nights on CBS if you want to see the new stuff.
Rachael: Thank you so much, Marg!