16. Mai 2004

"CSI" star William Petersen was shook up about spinoff "CSI: Miami." Now I see Gary Sinise will head a New York spinoff. Is Petersen upset? Do you have high hopes for it?
Bill Johnson, Las Vegas

With Sinise and now Melina Kanakaredes, the "Providence" star and a reader favorite, heading the cast, it's a very good bet. Sinise and company will be introduced in Monday's "CSI: Miami." As for original "CSI" man Petersen, he's long over his spinoff concerns and has said not a word about "CSI: New York."

25. Februar 2001

William Petersen makes CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" must-see TV for me. Where did he come from? And what's he like?
Susan Sears, Etna, N.Y.
He keeps a home in Chicago, where he has family, but lives in L.A. because he's a workaholic who not only stars in the top-rated drama but also produces it. Which makes this single guy lousy date material, he tells us. "I don't have any time. When I retire, I may go out." That may be a while. At 47, Petersen, who has had a solid but low-key film career, is now finding a wider audience. His Gil Grissom character is the center of the show. Is he ever creeped out by Grissom's ghoulish work? "I'm fascinated. I'm becoming really interested in bugs, maggots and tarantulas" -- which still doesn't make him good date material.

20. April 2003

You don't find "CSI"'s William Petersen dissected by the tabloids or revealing too much in other publications. I'm most curious about his marital status. And what about his movie career?
Andrea Cameron, El Dorado Springs, Mo.

He was a well-regarded film actor in the '80s (think To "Live and Die in L.A." and "Manhunter"), but his last movie was the 2000 political drama "The Contender", and he's busy enough with "CSI" for now (he's a producer, too). Like his TV alter ego, Gil Grissom, Petersen, 50, is a walking enigma. He'll talk about sports, his acting heroes, even the afterlife (he's a believer), and he has been known to encourage creativity around the set by passing out T-shirts with "Think" on them. He also has love on the brain: Long divorced from high school sweetheart Joanne Brady, with whom he had daughter Maite, 28, Petersen got engaged to Gina Cirone, a Chicago biology teacher, in December 2001. No date has been set, but he'd like to get married in Italy.

17. Juni 2001

I'm one of the many fans of CBS' hit crime drama, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation". Tell me about Jorja Fox, one of the forensic investigators.
Roseanne Turner, Denver, Ind.

She has a talent for being in the show of the moment: Fox, 32, was in ER early on, The West Wing last year and now CSI, plus the acclaimed indie movie "Memento". The New York native is unmarried but "involved, and not allowed to talk about it. I've been sworn to secrecy!" She can talk about her love of animals (she has a dog and two cats); she headed back to New York on her break from CSI to work with the ASPCA. "I'm the wimp of the cast, a little squeamish," she says when asked about her gruesome scenes. "When I met [co-star] Billy [Petersen] and the creator [Anthony Zuiker] for lunch, I order this delicious lunch and they start talking about heads in popcorn containers."
Online extra: Q&A with CSI's Jorja Fox

28. August 2005

Is Eric Szmanda, one of my favorite CSI men, married? He gets so little press.
Aronda Bryant White Plains, N.Y.

Szmanda talked to us from a New York taxi on his way to a wedding rehearsal. Don't fret -- not his own. He's single at 30. The Milwaukee-born actor says he and his CSI character "are essentially the same"; producers used his irreverent humor to make him CSI's "court jester." He counts co-stars Jorja Fox and George Eads among his best friends. His sideline: a music company that promotes events and parties.

12. Januar 2003

Two "West Wing" women -- Jorja Fox, who played a Secret Service agent for the president's daughter, and Emily Procter, who played conservative White House counselor Ainsley Hayes -- have landed in great new jobs on "CSI" and "CSI: Miami", respectively. Does that mean we won't see them again on "The West Wing"?
Michael Mendez, El Paso

It's not impossible, but it's improbable. NBC's loss is CBS' gain and a huge boost to the women's careers. Procter and Fox, both 33, are regular cast members of their new shows; on "Wing", they were only guest stars. Both "CSI" shows have been rating higher this season than "Wing".