Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne has officially joined the cast of "CSI" after emerging last month as the top candidate to fill the leading actor void created by the departure of thesp William Petersen.
Petersen continues as an exec producer of the show.
Fishburne will first appear in "CSI's" ninth episode this season. He'll star as a former pathologist turned college lecturer who focuses on why people turn violent -- including traits he's disturbed to find in himself. The character joins the Las Vegas Crime Lab as a Level 1 CSI after assisting in a murder investigation.
"CSI" exec producers Carol Mendelsohn and Naren Shankar said Fishburne topped their "dream list."
"He is a powerful and intense actor, with an incredible range," they said in a joint statement.
Thesp's TV credits also include the longforms "Miss Evers' Boys," which scored him an Emmy, and "The Tuskegee Airmen." He also earned an Emmy for a guest spot on Fox's short-lived "Tribeca." He recently received a Tony nomination for "Thurgood."
Contact Michael Schneider at
mike.schneider@variety.com