CSI Hires Laurence Fishburne to Replace William Peterson's Character

Well, for many the time has come (or more appropriately the truth has come out). Laurence Fishburne, an Emmy and Tony award winner will soon replace William Peterson's brilliant CSI character, in the upcoming season. AP shows that the airdate for Petersen's final episode has yet to be determined, but he will leave the set early next year. Peterson will remain on staff as an executive producer, continuing to direct and play a major role in the overall effect of the series, but he will now remain unseen.

Fishburne's character is a college lecturer and former pathologist who is deeply devoted to his work and focuses on acts of violence. What drives people to it; what will they gain from it; and what did they stand to lose? But even better, the Associated Press hints that he's a forensic scientist with a secret. CBS says he will enter during a murder investigation and eventually join the Las Vegas Crime Lab to replace William, who has played the lead investigator, Gil Grissom, since the show premiered in 2000.

Laurence Fishburne may not be the average household name, but he is no small potatoes. Washington Post shows that at 47, he has received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Ike Turner in "What's Love Got to Do With It", a Tony in 1992 for "Two Trains Running", and an Emmy for "Tribeca" and "Miss Evers'Boys". He has also acted in a multitude of films such as "The Color Purple", "Apocalypse Now", "Mystic River, "Matrix", and "21", and he has appeared in a vast array of television shows, such as Miami Vice and Hill Street Blues. He is also a writer and director.

At the moment, the actors and producers are ecstatic. The minute the search for the "new Grissom" began, directors groaned and the public sighed; I mean who's going to fill those shoes? With meticulous habits and an irritating ability to know it all, Grissom has become a household figure, pulling in 17 million viewers across the globe and creating multiple spin offs. So, when CBS asked Carol Mendelsohn and Narel Shankar in an interview, "Who's at the top of your dream list?" both of the executive producers immediately said, "Laurence Fishburne. He is a powerful and intense actor, with an incredible range." For them to get him with ease (and hopefully to pay him less) was a blessing. Peterson was one of the highest paid actors in television drama, but he was also the lead actor in one of the most-watched series, so producers just bit the bullet.

After he had been selected, Fishburne replied, "I am elated and delighted to be joining the cast of CSI" in a statement to the Associated Press, adding that he looked forward to a "wonderful collaboration" with those involved in the series. Currently his character is tagged only as "The Professor", but either way, 17 million viewers are antsy about the arrival of this mystery man, especially since Washington Post reports he has never been intrigued by the show, not even enough to know the name of the character he's replacing. Lucky for us though, sneak peeks of Peterson are guaranteed throughout the season as he works himself in from behind the scenes.