‘CSI: Las Vegas’: Marg Helgenberger Missed Catherine Willows But “I Wanted To Make Sure There Was A Reason She Would Come Back To The Job”

When Marg Helgenberger left the first iteration of CSI back in Season 12, she did it because, well, she needed the break. She was the original female lead opposite Billy Petersen. “I played the role for so long. It felt like it had become a part of my identity,” she told reporters Friday during CBS’ TCA panel.

So when the CSI: Vegas producers called Helgenberger to join the cast in Season 2, it took a minute before she could commit to stepping inside the yellow tape again. (She couldn’t join the spinoff in the first season because she was busy on All Rise, which ultimately went to OWN.)

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“I wanted to make sure there was a reason Catherine would come back to the job,” explained Helgenberger, who modeled her character after a real-life forensics expert who stepped away from her job at age 50. “It’s a tough gig. Why would Catherine, at this age, come back? That was important to me. I had several conversations with [showrunner] Jason Tracey about that. I really want to get it right and we did.”

Since then, Helgenberger said everyone on the cast, which includes Paula Newsome and Matt Lauria, have been “excessively welcoming. I feel the love.”

Helgenberger signed a one-year deal to join the drama. “I feel the respect toward me, I’m so grateful. It’s been a hell of a lot of fun working with everybody. The set is vastly different than the original set. I’m still discovering new rooms, in fact. Of course I miss some of the old gang but I got over that pretty quickly because everybody has been so welcoming and gracious.”

CSI: Vegas returns for a second season on September 29. It’s produced by CBS Studios in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television. Executive producers are Tracey, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, KristieAnne Reed, Anthony Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue, Craig O’Neill, William Petersen, Uta Briesewitz (initial episode only) and Cindy Chvatal.

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