The Sera of 'Leaving Las Vegas' will join the CBS crime show as a series regular starting February 2012 to succeed Helgenberger who will leave the show earlier next year.
- Nov 19, 2011
AceShowbiz - "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" has cast a new female lead to fill in Marg Helgenberger's shoes. Elisabeth Shue, who is best known for her role on "Leaving Las Vegas", lands a regular role on the CBS long-running drama series.
"While it's difficult to say goodbye to a beloved character like Catherine Willows, it's exciting to start a journey with a new CSI, especially when that character is played by Elisabeth Shue," executive producer Carol Mendelsohn says in a statement. Shue's character will be first introduced in a February 15 episode.
Shue will play a CSI who just completed anger management training. "The new CSI also struggles with brutal honesty issues and suffers no fools," Mendelsohn spills more details of the new character. She additionally shares a past with Ted Danson's D.B. Russell in another crime lab.
"The first time things didn't go so well between the two of them. Maybe the second time's the charm, or not," executive producer Don McGill chimes in. Words are, Russell was the former boss of the new CSI and he fired her when they worked together in Seattle.
Shue won several Critics Awards and got nominated for Best Actress at Academy Awards through her role in 1995's "Leaving Las Vegas". Her previous film credits include "The Karate Kid" (1984), "Adventures in Babysitting", and two "Back to the Future" movies. The 48-year-old will next be seen starring in "House at the End of the Street" opposite Jennifer Lawrence.
Helgenberger is set to leave "CSI" after episode 12 of this season, which is scheduled to air in January 2012. She, however, does rule out possibility of returning for more episodes on the show.
