The Stars Of CSI: Where Are They Now?

The popular crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation featured a long list of intriguing characters played by some of the most talented actors TV has ever seen. But what have the stars been doing ever since the show ended in 2015?

Sara Sidle started as a recurring character before turning into a series regular for the final five seasons. Jorja Fox portrayed the forensic scientist and became so integral to the show that she headlined the series’ movie finale alongside Ted Danson.

CSI isn’t the only thing that Jorja Fox is well-known for. From 1996 to 1999, she starred in medical drama E.R. as Dr. Maggie Doyle. She was also in the political drama The West Wing, portraying secret service agent Gina Toscano. However, she has spent less time on TV recently and more time in activism. She is a strong advocate of both human rights and animal rights, working with PETA to promote vegetarianism. She even designed a vegan purse for Montreal company Matt & Nat.

Dickerson had the ultimate gig, operating as a DNA lab technician in the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Although she was only present for season five, Mia captured the heart of many fans by getting the job done in little to no time at all. Her organizational skills were her weakness and strength, as she was often perceived as OCD, which resulted in her scolding other CSI’s for “contaminating” her personal workspace. Many lab techs at work had a crush on beautiful Mia as well.

Her recurring role on CSI is not all Aisha Tyler is known for. The praised author, producer, director, writer and actress was also on FRIENDS and Talk Soup, in addition to landing the role of talk show host for Whose Line is it Anyway?. Tyler can also be seen in the first season of Ghost Whisperer, and her easily recognizable voice is evident as Lana Kane in Archer. Tyler also made numerous video game appearances, including Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs and Halo: Reach.

Canadian actress Lauren Lee Smith became a regular character in CSI through the role of Riley Adams. Her inclusion was a result of the departure of Jorja Fox’s character, Sarah Sidle. This void meant that Smith had a big job on her hands. But she filled that void with absolute aplomb. And according to the creators, she’s “a smart, flirtatious, and witty non-conformist who entered law enforcement to rebel against her judgmental psychiatrist father.”

However, despite her major role, Smith was only on the show for one season. This would soon be followed by her role as Michelle McCluskey on Canadian fantasy drama The Listener. She also featured on shows such as Ascension and This Life, where she portrayed the lead character’s sister, who has stage four cancer. Her most recent role will be as a female detective in 1920s Toronto, in the up and coming drama Frankie Drake Mysteries.

When Louise Lombard started performing on CSI as Sofia Curtis, she worked alongside William Petersen’s character Gil Grissom. But it didn’t take long before Sofia was moving up in the world and was deputy chief of the police department. Similar to Liz Vassey’s situation, Lombard was a regular fixture on the show but only during the middle seasons. She made her debut in season five and became a regular cast member during season seven, before departing the show in season 11.

Lombard is one of the only British actors who starred in CSI. Since her midway departure from the show, she made appearances in other shows of varying popularity. Lombard made a brief cameo on one episode of The Mentalist, while she had more screen time on the short-lived sci-fi romance Star-Crossed. But her most successful career move outside of CSI came in 2014 when she appeared as a recurring character in six episodes of the fantasy police drama Grimm.

One of the most popular characters on the show, Warrick Brown starred in nearly every single episode of CSI. This was until his untimely death in the first episode of season nine. The character’s passing shook fans and critics alike and impacted the show heavily moving forward. But during his time on the show, Gary Dourdan put his stamp on the character and was best remembered for his chemistry with other main characters such as a Catherine Willows.

Although he’s best remembered for his role as Warrick Brown, Gary Dourdan’s career has never really progressed since his time on CSI. This has also been marred by a string of run-ins with the law. He has been arrested for possession of illegal substances and has also been caught up in domestic incidents with his girlfriend. Things got so dire that in 2012, Dourdan filed for bankruptcy, as it was reported that he owed about $1.7 million to creditors.

The creators brought on Academy Award-nominee Elisabeth Shue to fill the void Marg Helgenberger had left. You may recognize Shue as Marty McFly’s girlfriend in Back To The Future. She appeared on CSI for four straight seasons, between the years 2012 until 2015. Before her time on CSI, Shue worked on several films, including Leaving Las Vegas, Trigger Effect, Deconstructing Harry, The Saint, Palmetto, and also Hollow Man, all while starring alongside many heavyweight Hollywood names.

After her fate hung in the balance, it was revealed in the series finale that Finlay did not survive. After appearing in 71 episodes, she missed the final episode of CSI. This didn’t stop Shue from carrying on enjoying her career in acting. But ultimately she has mainly focused on her family since departing the show. Shue is married to filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, who has a part to play in TV shows such as ER, 24, Alias and The Shield.

Before his work on CSI, Paul Guilfoyle starred in great movies such as L.A. Confidential and Amistad. But it was his portrayal of the mainstay detective Jim Brass that he will be best remembered for. Guilfoyle played the captain of the homicide team for 14 years and featured in 317 episodes. But he left the show after creators decided to write him out, feeling that his storyline was complete. However, the seasoned actor did return for the series finale.

Since his departure from the show for good, Guilfoyle has featured in some of the most critically acclaimed movies in recent memory. He made an uncredited appearance in the sci-fi movie Gravity by Alfonso Cuaron, which won seven Academy Awards. And it was only two years later when Guilfoyle had a more prominent role as Peter Conley in the crime drama Spotlight. The movie also starred Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, and Mark Ruffalo. Most importantly, it won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

One of the late inclusions in the show came in the form of Morgan Brody, played by actress Elisabeth Harnois. She joined the show in season 11 and since then, she has never looked back. Funnily enough, Harnois also starred in CSI: Miami, albeit as a different character. As well as her work as analyst Brody, the actress also made appearances in shows such Charmed, 90210, One Tree Hill and even The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air.

Since her final appearance in the series movie finale Immortality, Harnois’ acting career has been practically nonexistent. However, her personal life is certainly more eventful. Despite this, Harnois has repeatedly chosen to keep her personal life completely private. She was rumored to be engaged to her boyfriend who she has been with for a long time. And although she has refused to even disclose his name, it is believed that he is a TV producer who she lives with in L.A.

Greg Sanders is another CSI character who was originally brought onto the show to bring a much-needed comic relief to what were generally serious affairs. Eric Szmanda brought his dry sense of humor to the character, a trainee who is rough around the edges. But as time went on, he became more popular as a character and more experienced as an investigator. It wasn’t long before Szmanda was a regular fixture on the show.

After pretty much being a part of the show for the entirety of its run, Szmanda has kept a pretty low profile in the world of both TV and film. However, he has had a keen interest in activism since his departure from CSI. Szmanda is an avid supporter of the U.S. Campaign For Burma, having traveled to Thailand and seen first-hand the Burmese refugees who flee their country and what they go through on a day-to-day basis.

Wallace Langham played the role of technician David Hodges. From seasons three through to seven, he was a recurring character in the show who was known for giving overly detailed accounts about virtually anything. Then in season eight, after receiving much praise for his quirky performances, he became a regular. As well as his role in CSI, Langham has also starred in classic movies such as the biographical hits Hitchcock and The Social Network.

After starring on nearly 250 episode of CSI, Langham has appeared in a variety of hit TV shows. He made guest appearances on shows such as the horror comedy show Scream Queens, the sitcom Mike & Molly and the comic-book adaptation iZombie. He also guest-starred on the crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. But his most recent high-profile role came when he portrayed former FBI director Louis Freeh in a drama based on the true story, Manhunt: Unabomber.

An interesting addition to the show came in the form of Dr. Al Robbins, played by Robert David Hall. In real life, the actor lost both of his legs in a car accident and this directly informed his character’s backstory. Robbins used a wheelchair for the majority of the show, but also used prosthetics from time to time. After having a recurring role for the first two seasons, Hall was upgraded to the main cast from season three onwards.

Outside of CSI, Hall has also starred in shows such as G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Beverly Hills 90210, The West Wing and even had a cameo in the sci-fi flick Starship Troopers. To be fair, Hall hasn’t changed too much in appearance since he started working on CSI. This is mainly due to the fact that he already had white hair from an early age, which was perfect for his role as Dr. Al Robbins.

Creators brought Liz Vassey on to the show in season six and her role on the show as Wendy Simms would run for the following six seasons. However, after several of CSI‘s actors handled their own contracts, Vassey decided not to extend hers and left the show in 2010. But fans and critics alike loved her character, with one writer describing Simms as “sassy.” Many also fondly recall her awkward relationship with Wallace Langham’s character David Hodges.

Since her abrupt departure from the show, Vassey has starred in a variety of other shows. One of her most memorable cameos came in 2010 when she appeared in a string of episodes in the hit sitcom Two And A Half Men. She portrayed Michelle, a woman who Charlie Sheen’s character dated. Because she was four years older than him, Charlie had trouble dating an older woman. Ironically in real life, Vassey is six years younger than Sheen.

Towards the end of season five, Jon Wellner made his first appearance as DNA Technician Henry Andrews. Primarily a recurring character, Wellner eventually got his chance as a regular member of the cast in season 13. But before CSI, Wellner actually played the role of Bob Denver in Surviving Gilligan’s Island, a docudrama based on the original sitcom. During his time on the show, he also made cameos in shows such as NCIS and That’s So Raven.

Not only has Wellner had a successful career in TV, the actor has also made appearances in big movies such as Evan Almighty and Ocean’s Thirteen. But since CSI came to an end in 2015, Wellner has had some financial troubles, specifically where his spouse is concerned. He was forced to block his estranged wife who demanded emergency spousal support. This came after she lost her job at a dog shelter. But despite his personal issues, Wellner is still looking great.

David Caruso played the main character of CSI‘s spin-off show, CSI: Miami as an MDPD Lieutenant by the name of Horatio Caine. Since the inception of the character in 2002, Caine has been praised by critics and also developed a cult following during his time on TV. Even personalities such as David Letterman and Jim Carrey have displayed their admiration for Caruso’s portrayal. Caine was the focal point and mainstay of the show for the entirety of its run.

After nearly 250 episodes as Horatio Caine, Caruso has developed a pretty low profile. Also, we think it is safe to say that the many the years in the MDPD have taken some a considerable number of years away from the actor. Outside of TV, Caruso has made it out of a pretty toxic relationship. His ex-girlfriend, who he had two kids with, sued him for fraud. After that, he was under serious threat from an international stalker.

One of the most high-profile actors to grace CSI is Laurence Fishburne. The man who is probably most famous for his role as Morpheus in The Matrix won the role of Ray Langston in 2008. During his time on the show, Fishburne featured in every single episode from the midway point of season nine to the end of season 11. However, after not renewing his contract, the creators wrote Langston out of the show and found a replacement…

Unlike many other actors on the show, Fishburne’s fame and fortune has only gone from strength to strength. Since leaving the show, “Larry” has also starred in TV shows such as Hannibal and Black-ish. But his most recognized work has come on the big screen, and his prolific streak in Hollywood doesn’t seem to be ending any time soon. Since CSI, Fishburne has starred in blockbusters such as Man Of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and John Wick: Chapter 2.

The man behind Forrest Gump’s friend Lieutenant Dan locked down his own position as the main character in the CSI spin-off, CSI: NY. Mac Taylor was an instant hit with fans and critics alike and featured in every single episode of the show’s run. Taylor was the director of the NYPD crime lab and level III supervisor. Sinise even got the chance to cross over into the main show for season 13, episode 13.

Since the spin-off show ended in 2013, Sinise starred in the CBS crime drama spin-off, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders as the Unit Chief of the International Response Team, Jack Garrett. His run on the show lasted for the two seasons it was on air for before CBS canceled the show. And it’s not just TV that Sinise has had success in. In 2014, he made a voice cameo as Narrator of the Smithsonian in Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

When Laurence Fishburne failed to renew his contract to reprise his role as Dr. Ray Langston, many fans had no idea who would be fit to fill the void he left on the show. But they would be thrilled beyond their wildest dreams when the show runners hired Ted Danson to take on the role of D.B. Russell and become the new supervisor of the CSI team. For four seasons, Danson made the role his own.

Despite going all the way to the end of CSI‘s run, Danson continued to be a big player in TV, securing another role as a main character. Since 2016, he has starred in fantasy comedy show The Good Place as Michael, the architect of the “The Good Place.” Also, Danson starred in the second season of hit series Fargo as Sheriff Hank Larsson. The former Cheers star even made a voice cameo on an episode of the animated sitcom American Dad!

To varying degrees, David Berman was a mainstay on CSI throughout the show’s entire run. For the first nine seasons, the actor who played Dave Phillips was a recurring character but finally got his opportunity as one of the main characters from season 10 onwards. “Super Dave,” as he is referred to in the show by his contemporaries, is a medical examiner. And for the majority of his storyline, he acted as the assistant coroner to Dr. Al Robbins.

Since the show came to a climactic end in 2015, Berman has been pretty much completely off the radar as far as acting is concerned. The one notable appearance he made post-CSI was on another forensics-oriented show by the name of Bones. Other than that, Berman has been living a pretty low-profile life and despite being in his mid-forties, he doesn’t seem to have aged one day since his first appearance as “Super Dave.” Maybe he is an actual superhero.

In charge of audio and visual surveillance was Archie Johnson, who landed the title specialist during season three. The man spent most his time in the Las Vegas crime lab but is shown to enjoy coming out of his cave whenever he is presented with the opportunity, as he prefers to work out in the field every now and again. Although a bit of a nerd stereotype, Johnson is known to be quite the Star Trek expert and online games fanatic.

After CSI, Archie joined Chicago P.D., which is an NBC series that was a spin-off from Chicago Fire. He was named a regular on the show and showed great skill while taking upon himself the role of Detective Sheldon Jin, who is in charge of surveillance and is employed at the Chicago Police Department Intelligence Unit. Archie also had many film appearances, his latest being Into the Rainbow and Legend of the Ancient Sword, both came out in 2017.

The officer with the LVPD in CSI was none other than the prominent Larry “Mitch” Mitchell. Officer Mitchell clears crime scenes and is highly respected by the CSI team. He had no problem putting his life on the line in order to protect the CSI’s, which also grants him major credit point from the gang. Mitch has a close relationship with Jim Brass since they both are more Law Enforcement personnel than CSIs, which explains why the two clicked from the start.

Coincidently, Officer Mitchell is played by none other than a man called Larry M. Mitchell. The guy is an actor first and foremost but is also a writer and technical consultant. He was a big part of CSI for ten years, but in 2015 decided to call it quits and move on in his life since he was mostly known for his roles in TV dramas. His most recent work is on The Mysteries of Laura, which is still filming to this day.

Ecklie used to be the day shift supervisor, but he was promoted to Assistant Lab Director after Season 4. Season 9 was also a big one for the character of Conrad since he was then promoted again to Undersheriff, but despite his new role within the Las Vegas Police Department, Conrad is known for being one to jump on the opportunity to work in the field and brush the dust off his Crime Scene Kit. Additionally, his personality is, more than anything, known to be quite strict when it comes to regulations.

Vann’s most remembered role to this day is the one he portrayed on CSI, but he also had remarkable performances in Angel and Early Edition. In 2008, Vann guest starred in new episodes of 2 different series – the first was in Lost, where he played a ship’s doctor, and the second was in Eli Stone, where Vann acted as an automotive worker bribed into moving away and not testifying in court. Vann can also be seen in commercials every now and then.

Detective Louis “Lou” Vartann was a homicide detective at the Las Vegas Police Department. Vartann always explains he deeply believes Las Vegas “has no history,” since history in Vegas gets imploded (watch episode 623, “Bang-Bang” for further reference). His ex-wife on the show gained custody of their joint son, Jake, but due to being a troublemaker, Jake’s mother gave up her rights and Vartann got custody when Jake was in high school. Lou also becomes engaged in a romantic relationship with Catherine Willows as the show progresses.

Canadian actor Alex Carter appears both on silver and television screens, although he is mostly known for his roles on TV. His acting career consisted of ranging genres, including drama, comedy, reality and many more. Among the many shows, he appeared in are the following few: Revenge, Family Passions, Traders, Black Harbour, Taking the Falls, Made in Canada, The Pretender, Without a Trace, Nip/Tuck, JAG, and Jericho. Films featuring Carter included Out of Time and The Island, as well as the thriller The Other.

Paula Ann Dilworth was born on March 12, 1952, in New York City. Now commonly known as Paula Francis, the woman quickly made a name for herself once landing the coveted gig as a news anchor for CBS (KLAS), but had no idea what kind of doors this job would open. Since her face was easily associated with Las Vegas news, CSI wanted to have the real-life news anchor on their show – acting as herself – to make their plot as believable as they could.

The noted journalist appeared in more than a dozen episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as herself, but come April 1, 2016, the talented woman declared she was retiring from anchoring. These days, the 65-year-old focuses on humanitarian work, which has won several awards in the field for her involvement in the community. Francis also received eight Las Vegas Review-Journal Best of Las Vegas awards and recently announced to reviewjournal.com that she is “happy in retirement,” claiming it’s her freedom from deadlines that she’s enjoying most.

Fingerprint Lab Tech genius and business first firm believer Jacqui Franco appeared all through season three to five in the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Jacqui is quite the serious one, but as can be seen on the episode titled “A Night at the Movies,” Franco also has a silly side to her. After she and Greg made a bet on who can process the murder weapon’s results first, Jacqui accepted defeat by wearing a ridiculous hat Greg once wore.

Romy’s thriving acting career did not begin or end with CSI – as a matter of fact, her big break was in 2010, when she played the role of Carole Hudson in Glee. Rosemont also went on to appear in major, multi-million dollar making television series like Prison Break, Grey’s Anatomy and its spinoff show – Private Practice. Her husband, Stephen Root, is also an actor, and the two appeared together in Fringe‘s fourth season, on an episode titled “And Those We’ve Left Behind.”

The seemingly ever-present Nick Stokes played by George Eads appeared in a staggering 335 episodes of CSI, making him one of the longest-serving characters on the show. In fact, Eads only missed out on the series finale TV movie, Immortality. This is because he announced his departure from the show on November 25, 2014, a year earlier. He generally provided the comic relief in the show and was a character who had a good rapport with his fellow colleagues.

Since then, Eads has transferred his comedic prowess over to other projects, most notably CBS action-adventure show MacGyver. The modern-day reboot of the original eighties hit series sees Eads play Jack Dalton, Angus “Mac” MacGyver’s partner. Despite receiving negative reviews from critics, the crime show has a pretty decent following, meaning that a second season is on the horizon. However, Eads’ personal life took a turn for the worse in 2015 when he and his wife Monica split up.

Eva played Natalia between 2005-2012. She became a full time cast member in season five and was a favorite among fans.

Since her stint on the show she starred in the revival of Full House. She also married her husband Joe in 2010, however sadly they divorced in 2014.

Billed as “a stripper-turned-investigator who is also a single mom,” Catherine Willows proved to be an intriguing foil for Petersen’s Gil Grissom. And Marg Helgenberger put her heart and soul into the rags-to-riches role, inspiring women from tough backgrounds to aspire for a better life. In fact, the character is actually based on real-life forensics officer Yolanda McClary. Previously known for her role on China Beach, Helgenberger portrayed Willows for the show’s first 12 seasons.

Since leaving CSI for good in 2013, Helgenberger has tried her luck in other shows such the action adventure show Intelligence. But despite being a regular, the show was canceled after just one season on the air. She also starred in a recurring role on the more successful sci-fi mystery Under The Dome. In light of her mother’s 27 year battle with cancer, Helgenberger has also worked to fight the illness. She cameoed on Hell’s Kitchen, attending a Stand Up To Cancer dinner.

The original leader of the team, Gil Grissom was played by To Live And Die In L.A. star William Petersen. For the first eight seasons, Petersen appeared in every single episode, before departing from the main cast. Despite being followed by high profile successors such as Laurence Fishburne’s Dr. Ray Langston and Ted Danson’s D.B. Russell, fans will always hold Petersen’s Gil Grissom, the first supervisor of the CSI team, closest to their hearts.

After starring in nearly 200 of CSI‘s 337 episodes, Petersen took a couple of years out of the acting game to focus on his family life. But in 2015, the actor returned to television when he joined the cast of the period drama Manhattan. His character, Colonel Emmett Darrow is a military officer with a lot of pride, both in his faith and the United States of America. Petersen has also worked in theatre since his time away from CSI.