More details on Laurence Fishburne joining 'CSI'

August 18, 02:49 PM

Laurence Fishburne may be the splashy new hire on CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, but the Emmy-and-Tony-winning actor wants to make it clear that the highly rated forensic mothership isn't about to become The Laurence Fishburne Crime-Fighting Hour.

"The most important thing for me to remember is not to mistake my presence for the event," Fishburne tells reporters on a Monday (Aug. 18) conference call. "The event is the show. The event is CSI. Everyone has a responsibility to bring their unique talents and gifts to it and that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to enter into this with the most positive attitude I can. I'm coming to work with people who are wonderful, who have made great television for nine years. That's a gift. All I can say is that I'm ready to play."

There appears to be some question, though, as to what, exactly, Fishburne is going to be playing.

In its press release officially announcing Fishburne's long-rumored casting, CBS says "Fishburne will play a former pathologist who is now working as an itinerant college lecturer, teaching a course in criminalistics. His focus is on understanding criminal behavior, how and why people commit acts of violence – tendencies he disturbingly sees within himself."

But as of this second, Fishburne's character is lacking more than a few little details, including a name. Series executive producer Naren Shankar says that the character's code name in the writers' room has just been The Professor. Sounds mysterious.

Shankar also wants to clarify some details about what may or may not be happening in the character's genetic profile.

"I think it was misreported a little bit in terms of this character having the genetic profile of a serial killer," Shankar says. "In reality, there is no such thing. From the outset, what we really wanted to play with in a dramatic sense is a character who has been able to examine his own genetic profile to a certain extent and find certain complexes and certain clusters of biological facts that he has in common with that is associated with aggressive or criminal behavior. That's all it is. Obviously, that's a mouthful. It's not as simple as saying 'the genetic profile of a serial killer,' but it's just one of those things that's going to lead this character to interested in the world of violent criminals and criminalistics and forensics. It's what draws him to it, the sense that if you find within yourself certain tendencies and see certain behaviors, it lets you wonder how these things turn into murder, how they turn into violence, how they turn into criminal behavior. That's all it is. It's an underlying element for the character. It's nothing as simple as 'He's got the genes of a serial killer,' because there's no such thing."

To be fair, what Shankar characterizes as being "misreported" was actually a direct quote from CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler at the Television Critics Association press tour. But things change.

"We had talked about a particular genetic syndrome, XYY, at an early stage of our story development process," Shankar explains. "We've always strived to make sure that CSI is as accurate as possible. We have a small army of researchers and forensic consultants who work with us. Our initial steps into figuring out what that particular genetic syndrome was about, was not really borne out by the research. We changed that aspect of it a little bit. But, again, this is a character still in development. That's just the natural course of thing."

For his part, Fishburne is coy, saying, "Let me just say that I have no knowledge of such biological profile, nor would I be at liberty to speak about such biological profile if in fact such biological profile exists. I don't know. I'm just really excited that I'm going to be joining this team. We have a lot of stuff to work out. Our last question was, what is this character's name. We have a lot of stuff to flesh out. We've only had an opportunity to sit down with each other face to face, one time. I think over the next couple weeks we'll get cracking and really discover what the answers to those questions are. All this stuff is discovery for everyone involved."

For now, the discovery process is nascent. Fishburne won't begin shooting his role until mid-September and The Professor's first appearance is expected to air in December 2008 or possibly in early 2009. The character will become involved in an investigation in the season's ninth episode and will then become an entry-level CSI-1 soon after, a career change timed to mesh with the departure of series star William Petersen.

"I wouldn't say my going into weekly television series is actually stepping away from anything," Fishburne says of leaving his still-busy film career. "It's another medium in which to work as an actor. Because I haven't done series television since Pee Wee's Playhouse, it's a welcome change. It's going to be challenging, it's going to be fun and it's going to be exciting."

Part of the excitement will be getting to know the show he's working on.

"To be perfectly frank, I said to Naren and Carol [Mendelsohn] when we met here in New York that I felt a little stupid and embarrassed that I hadn't watched the show prior to having a meeting with them, but I'm happy to say that the episodes they sent me to look at were really engaging and really wonderful, and kind of dark and moody, like a lot of the work I've been involved in, and I thought, 'Wow, that's cool. Hmmm... Wow, this'll work!' So I'm very excited."

Says Shankar, "We're a show that spends a lot of time thinking. We don't blow stuff up, we're not about chasing people down and shooting people and the quality we were looking for was deep intelligence. Mr. Fishburne, when you look at his work, he's always brought that sensibility to the material he's done. It was a perfect fit for CSI."

What do y'all think? Are you intrigued by Fishburne's casting and by his character?

in CSI

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Comments (23)

Comments

Ugh no, I really think that CSI will just lose its flair once Grissom is gone. Half the team will be gone this year, and with 2 new characters being introduced at once, not to mention one of them replacing the show's main character, it's just too much to take in at once and I don't know if the show will last through it with a big enough chunk of its audience still intact afterwards.

Brian | Aug 18, 2008 4:56:54 PM | #

I totally agree with Brian. Fishburne and the other newbie will not carry it. without Grissom the show will die no matter how good the cast is after he leaves. I hate to see good shows come to an end. Maria

maria | Aug 18, 2008 5:50:35 PM | #

GRISSON WAS GONE FOR 2OR 3 EPISODES AND IT WAS JUST FINE. I THINK IT WILL GO ON WITHOUT A HITCH.

cheryl | Aug 18, 2008 6:39:24 PM | #

It never seemed like William Petersen was really "right" for that role. I can't say who could have played that role instead of him, but it always seemed like he was not the best actor to portray that character. Although I like him as an actor, he never 'carried' the show for me. I don't know who is taking his place, but I am glad to see Fishburne joining the cast. CSI needed a facelift.

Stacie | Aug 18, 2008 9:02:57 PM | #

It's too bad Dennis Haysbert isn't available. I truly believe he would be a better catch than Fishburne. Haysbert has the intensity and would be able to command the team and audience more readily. I'm not sure that I will watch as much when Grissom leaves. When he was gone the last time, I just never got around to watching as much. It seems they might take Jorja and Peterson and put them together riding in the sunset. And with Gary D. gone, it's even worse.

Charmaine | Aug 19, 2008 12:49:53 PM | #

William Petersen is CSI and without William Petersen the show will surley die. Nothing against Fishburne taking over but the fact is, no one could take the place of Gil Grissom. I myself will watch this season up until william petersen leaves and then I will not be watching. as far as the above comment from the person saying that William Petersen was never right for the role, you need to go back on your meds because that is just CRAZY!

Tom | Aug 19, 2008 6:22:15 PM | #

People who stop watching a show because an actor leaves is a fan of the actor not the show.WP is not THE show just one part. It is the slowly drawn out characters and good story that keeps me coming back. Not Grissom, Warrick or Sarah. It is the sum of its parts.

Ken | Aug 19, 2008 7:47:39 PM | #

Not a big WP fan. I actually thought he was way over rated. I much prefer Vince DeFrono (spelling?). He has that Columbo charm. I don't watch that many of these shows, could you tell? But I will watch when Laurence Fishburne joins the cast, in fact, I can't wait to see what he brings to the table. I would wager a bet that it's not just a full plate, he's going to be dishing up a platter!

Deb | Aug 20, 2008 12:14:01 AM | #

I love William Petersen, and I think he is perfect for that role, but I will still watch CSI after he leaves. The supporting cast is great even though we will see a few new faces. Gary Dourdan is a huge loss too. I think the show will bring in the same ratings as it does now.

Matt | Aug 20, 2008 5:00:11 AM | #

The portrayal of his character as having the genetic profile XYY, and associating it with criminal tendencies/thoughts as is described in the article is what disturbs me.

"His focus is on understanding criminal behavior, how and why people commit acts of violence – tendencies he disturbingly sees within himself."

This simply reinforces the stereotype that men with XYY karyotype are predisposed to violence and criminal behaviour - which was the hypothesis when the extra chromosome was first discovered. This was found to be patently untrue, but because the media continues to perpetuate the myth, it lives on!

My son has the extra Y chromosome, and if anything, it makes him more sensitive and empathetic. Most males with XYY are never diagnosed because they display no significant aftereffects from the extra chromosome. One of the most common struggles guys affected (only around 10% are actually seriously affected)by their extra Y face is in school - particularly with expressing themselves clearly using language - spoken or written. This makes academics very frustrating for them.

Life is hard enough for these guys who live with being "different", without the popular media singling them out.

Why couldn't "The Professor" simply be XY, just like most folks with "disturbing" thoughts and urges...?

It is *because* CSI is typically fairly fact-based (even if their DNA testing has unbelievably short turnaround time) that the public will take their perspective on XYY as truth - if it was routinely hokey, made-up scenarios that did not ring of truth, the public impressions of XYY would not damage the fragile knowledge base that is currently out there.

Only 1 in 1000 male births has this karyotype, and it is not well understood or thoroughly studied...yet as even the article points out their own research does not support their slant on this character's personality.

"We've always strived to make sure that CSI is as accurate as possible. We have a small army of researchers and forensic consultants who work with us. Our initial steps into figuring out what that particular genetic syndrome was about, was not really borne out by the research."

They continue to perpetuate the misinformation out there, knowingly:

"We changed that aspect of it a little bit. But, again, this is a character still in development. That's just the natural course of thing."

I'd love to see them change the "natural course of the thing" by either:

1. Highlighting the positive attributes of this character as it pertains to his XYY status - to make him a positive role model (spokesman?) for other individuals affected by XYY, or

2. Keeping the extra Y out of the picture entirely. Make the character XY, a typical male karyotype. Why perpetuate the myth?

Kristine Muysson | Aug 20, 2008 6:15:45 AM | #

I for one can't wait, I wonder will he help find out who killed Gary. It will be great, they have a terrific cast and he has the right attitude. Let's give him a chance, he is a great actor. I can't wait!!!!!

anonymous | Aug 20, 2008 6:40:14 AM | #

Hopefully this show will be cancelled quickly. Mainly due to writers not having enough education on a topic they are supposedly indorsing into a character, ie XYY. CSI says they try to keep their research as accurate as possible...well yours is not when it comes to knowledge of persons with the XYY genetic influence. Let me make a desired prediction that people with XYY hope to come true, and that is CSI will be cancelled early in its new season because of lousy viewer ratings. Amen to that.

Ben | Aug 20, 2008 7:40:45 AM | #

My son TOO has an extra Y chromosome. So if they HAVE the researchers why NOT use the research available to them. Its out there plain to see that having an extra Y chromosome doesn't make a man any more likely to become a criminal.
Why not say he has hemophelia and THAT makes him have tendencies to be a criminal. It makes just as much sense.
Shame on you Fishburne for allowing a network to malign a genetic disorder.

maureen | Aug 20, 2008 9:12:08 AM | #

Although I love William Petersen
in his role and he'll be missed, he doesn't make the show - that role is filled by the cast as a whole.

I can't wait to see Laurence Fishburne perform. He is a supremely talented actor and I'm extremely grateful he's coming to prime time!

Patty | Aug 20, 2008 9:45:50 AM | #

Kristine and Maureen --

We seem to have interpreted Shankar's quote very differently. The way I read it and the way it sounded when he said it is that their initial plan involved the XYY chromosome thing and that was what they initially pitched to CBS, which was why Nina Tassler told the press about the character's genetic similarities to serial killers. Then they worked with their research staff and consultants and realized their initial plans and assumptions didn't go with the current thought in the scientific community and that was why the character was no longer going in that direction.

So my interpretation is that he's saying that the character *won't* be perpetuating the XYY misinformation... His point was that characters evolve in the writing process and that this one started out as one thing and has become something different.

I may be wrong, though...

-Daniel

Daniel | Aug 20, 2008 10:31:03 AM | #

Some of you are being way too stubborn. Can't you just watch episode 9 and give Fishburne a chance? Petersen was not the star of the show, yeah he was 1st in the opening credits, but CSI has always been an ensemble drama and there are always multiple cases going on during an episode. Even if you look at Petersen's resume, he has never been a top billing A-list star, but a character/supporting actor. If your too stubborn and pig headed to think that the show can't move on without him, then the show doesn't need you as a fan. Also, Petersen has said that he will make occasional guest star appearances, so he's not gone for good.

Don J | Aug 20, 2008 11:37:43 AM | #

My XYY son is an Eagle Scout. That's not to say that he does not have issues or characteristics usually shared by XYY men (such as deficiencies and delays in gross and fine motor development), but there is no one XYY profile just as there is no XY profile or XX profile.

For a bit of meaningful background on XYY visit www.pathguy.com

mjm | Aug 20, 2008 12:50:39 PM | #

Kristine, you find be interested to know CSI Miami actually addressed the extra "Y" chromosome in an episode. A serial killer had been presumed by his parents that he would grow up violent because the extra chromosome wasn't understood back then. They also thought he killed his younger sister as a child (it was actually his other sister who was repsonsible).

Todd | Aug 23, 2008 10:38:56 PM | #

Is "Deb" referring to Vincent D'Onofrio of "Law and Order: Criminal Intent"?

Uhhh, I think he's a little busy...

Jeff | Aug 25, 2008 5:55:09 PM | #

I'm not sure where they got the idea that an extra sex chromosome means serial killer as that has never been believed to be true at least in the last several decades.

It does have a tendency to create coincide with a more aggressive personality whether it's xxy or xyy or xxyy and so on. What's really interesting is that it showed that men are men only because of the lack of a second x chromosome, not the presence of a y chromosome. Men are men because they are missing something :) No matter how many chromosomes, if at least two of them are Xs then it's a woman.

| Aug 31, 2008 9:21:48 AM | #

We LOVE CSI - the stories and the 'ensemble' of characters -- they have become far more than tv show characters to all of us -- we screamed and cried when they took Sara away, when they took Warrick away, and will do the same when they take Gil away...but, thank goodness for DVD technology - we will always have the originals. We also love Doc Robins, Greg, Catherine, David and of course 'Nicky'! So there are many originals who we have become attached to through the 8 exciting seasons of CSI Las Vegas. We like how we only know a 'tiny bit' about their [TV character] personal lives -- but just enough to make us feel attached to each of them.

While we are not looking forward to Gil leaving, we are looking forward to Laurence Fishburne joining the gang and won't stop watching because we also like the way the show is written and presented - it is a highlight of our week .. along with many other CBS shows. So nice to have soooo many good shows on CBS. CSI LAS VEGAS ** CSI MIAMI ** CSI NEW YORK ** ALL ROCK!!! (we are looking forward to seeing William Peterson on stage!)

DEPPinLOVEwithJOHNNY | Nov 1, 2008 9:40:29 PM | #

I like all the CSI shows and of the original, Gil grissom is an intregal part, but part of a way to keep it real is that jobs like a criminal investigative team, like any other job has employee turnover, either through firings, retirements, people leaving, among other ways. And even though you'd like to keep a great cast on a tv show, the actors don't want to be on the show forever as after a while it probably gets boring and more of a chore day after day. Bringing in new blood will probably freshen the show and maybe bring in new story angles to play upon and Laurence Fishbourne is a very good actor and can probably pull it off as long as the writing is well done. Have to remember that shows Like CSI, Law and Order, ER, Lost, and such are ensemble shows, where not just one character is the main focus, but how they interact in the situations or case presented and what they do to resolve it.

Mike in NE Ohio | Dec 11, 2008 12:29:38 AM | #

I do not care for Fishburne at all. Too bad Grissom is leaving. Fishburne is just not a good choice.

suzy | Dec 11, 2008 3:57:43 AM | #