CBS THE EARLY SHOW, TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW
January 13, 2005
Harry: CSI star Marg Helgenberger has earned legions of fans for her work on TV’s top show. Now she’s bringing her talents to the big screen alongside Dennis Quaid in the new movie In Good Company.
(Clip of In Good Company shown)
Harry: Marg Helgenberger is with us this morning. Good Morning.
Marg: Good morning, Harry.
Harry: Let me start with the movie.
Marg: Okay.
Harry: Or should I start with the People’s Choice Awards? Which is a better place to start?
Marg: I think go with the movie first.
Harry: Let’s go with the movie first. I’ve been seeing the trailers, and it looks perfectly charming. And the movie has got really nice buzz.
Marg: Yes it does. And it is perfectly charming, if I do say so myself.
Harry: Dennis Quaid plays a guy who’s replaced in his job by a younger guy.
Marg: Yes.
Harry: Who ends up dating your daughter.
Marg: That’s right, that’s right. It’s a movie that is basically about people and relationships. I mean, generally speaking. But it also sort of explores some themes, such as ageism and corporate merging, corporate downsizing. It’s certainly not what the movie’s about. Just the complexities of life and surprises and coincidences. It’s a very very entertaining film.
Harry: It looks terrific, and everybody I’ve talked to have seen it says it’s really nice. How do you shoot a movie…how do you shoot a feature film and do CSI at the same time?
Marg: Well, first off, it was only seven days, and both parties accommodated me, which was really great. CSI wrote me really light in an episode, and the movie reboarded it. So I take my…salute my producers from both places. Yes.
Harry: So the People’s Choice Awards was Sunday night?
Marg: Yes.
Harry: And you won. And what does it mean to you when people, just people…this is not critics, this is not so and so’s association or something else, but folks in America who watch television every week saying, ‘You know what we like you best.’
Marg: You know, it’s very gratifying, and it’s a thrill. Every week I have to admit I will check the weekly ratings to see that the show was number one. This season, being our fifth season, we’ve had bigger numbers than ever, which is incredible. Doesn’t happen very often.
Harry: Yeah, because they split up the team a little bit, right? In terms of who’s doing what shift and kind of going off into individual story lines?
Marg: Right. I mean, as in what’s happening on our show has happened overall in the making of our show because our three executive producers now are split up. Now they have…each has their own show.
Harry: Having their own city to deal with.
Marg: Yeah, and having to share crimes. So now that’s happening on the show. They’re splitting up the teams.
Harry: Was there some romantic involvement for you?
Marg: On the show? Well, they’re alluding to the fact that Gary Dourdan, who plays the character Warrick, and I will be…I don’t know if we’ll be actually ‘hooking up’. But I can’t imagine
Harry: Modern parlay…
Marg: I wouldn’t kick him out of bed for eating crackers, that’s for sure.
Harry: Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Did you just say that this morning? We start with you in bed with Dennis Quaid, and now we’re putting you in bed with someone else. We’re still chewing on our cornflakes here. (Marg and Harry laugh).
Marg: Sex sells Harry, what can I say?
Harry: Well, okay. You know, one of the things I admire about you is you come from the middle of the country.
Marg: Yes.
Harry: What town did you grow up in?
Marg: I grew up in a town called North Bend in Nebraska, Twelve hundred people.
Harry: Twelve hundred people in North Bend, Nebraska. Did you know then, when you were a kid…did you know ‘I’m going to be in movies and star in television shows. I’m going to win an Emmy’. Did you know that then?
Marg: No, no. Actually I was just busy trying to work in the bean fields and the corn fields and the packing house. I actually had aspirations to, you know, get out and be in a big city. But I don’t think I recall thoughts of…my career has always been just putting one foot in front of the other. I’ve never had a great plan.
Harry: Yeah. What do you think though? Because millions of people do this. I mean, they come to New York. They come to Los Angeles all the time. The bus, you know, the doors open up, and the people file out and say ‘I’m going to be a star’. But some it works, some it doesn’t. Certainly talent doesn’t hurt, but what else?
Marg: I guess luck. I’ve been blessed. I really have been blessed. I mean, I’ve been…I started off in soap operas. I’ve lived in New York, and then I transferred into primetime with China Beach and then…I’ve been really lucky I guess. I had the right place, right time all that stuff.
Harry: Well, we’re lucky to have you here on CBS, that’s for sure. And in In Good Company too, for crying out loud.
Harry: Marg Helgenberger back in New York at the Barney’s sale as well. We understand that is one of the reasons you’re here.
Marg: Oh yes. I’ve got to hit another one tomorrow.
Harry: Great to see you.
Marg: You too, Harry
Harry: Okay, you can catch CSI tonight at nine, eight central right here on CBS.
*Thanks to fox1 for transcribing this interview.