EXAMINERS’ EXAMINED: A LOOK AT THE FACES WHO BRING ‘CSI’ TO LIFE
The Hollywood Reporter
November 18, 2004
Compiled by Ray Richmond
Best thing about being on the show:
“It’s a wonderful gig because I get to work with an incredibly talented group of people and a very dedicated and hard-working crew. And despite the long hours and grim subject matter, we manage to have a lot of laughs. It’s a little bit surreal to comprehend how important this show has become to the TV business and to CBS. But to their credit, the network has pretty much left us alone to do our thing from the beginning. I’m also quite proud to be part of a show that isn’t afraid to be dark and edgy, which is right up my alley.”
Explain the ‘CSI’ phenomenon:
“You can never equate ratings with quality. Those are two very different animals. What has made this show different is that those behind it aren’t so driven by money that they have lost sight of creativity and inspiration and development. The fact that ‘CSI’ has been able to remain so original and viable is a little bit amazing, considering how so many shows look like and have the same content as we do. We have become the focal point of a trend to maximize. But we have remained on top as this highly stylized thing, I think, because we don’t feature cookie-cutter characters and don’t try to pattern ourselves on anyone else. We’ve been a distinct creation from Day 1, and people respond to that.”