WILLOWS TO RETURN
CSI Magazine July 2008
CSI: News
Star hints at return as contract renewal looms.
The writers’ strike may have provided ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’ fans with one unforeseen blessing – encouraging show star Marg Helgenberger to sign up for a further outing as Catherine Willows
The actress’ contract is up at the end of the current season, and the recent reports have surfaced in the press suggesting that Helgenberger was contemplating not renewing the role she has made her own for the past eight years. But ‘The Official CSI Magazine’ can reveal that it seems events surrounding the strike have tipped the balance in favor of the show.
“Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I was going to [renew],” Helgenberger recently told ‘The Official CSI Magazine.’ “It has been a great ride, I have enjoyed everyone so much, clearly it is great to be working, and it is so rare to get on a show this big. I am fully aware of all that stuff and it has been a real blessing, but I was starting to feel stagnant. I was starting to feel I didn’t know what else to do anymore and when you start to feel that way, it is time to explore new avenues.”
However, the downtime provided when the show went into its enforced hiatus has given the actress pause for thought. “Because the strike happened, you realize how great that situation is,” she explains. “It is rare to not only get a hit, but it is still high quality, people still care a great deal about it, and you get along with everyone. That can be a once in a career job.”
Helgenberger also points out that leaving at the end of season eight would cut short the stories the show’s writers had originally planned for the character. With only six episodes remaining to be shot to fill the show’s quota this season, it would be difficult to conclude Willows’ storyline to everyone’s satisfaction – actress and fans alike. “So I would like to come back, because it is like, ‘Oh, there are only six episodes left to the whole show and this has been eight years of my life.’ I would feel like they pulled the plug and I wasn’t ready.”
*Special thanks to Kelly Willows for transcribing this article. A scan can be found here.
