Laurence Fishburne Feels Sorry For CSI’s New Guy

Laurence Fishburne is like every other fan of CSI. In an LA Times profile, the actor admits that he’s worried about the way William Petersen will be ushered out of the hit show this week, as well as the fate of the series following Petersen’s exit. `”I”m very much invested in `The Bug Man,’” Fishburne said of his affection for Petersen’s Gil Grissom, an entomologist who heads up the CSI investigative team but who is now leaving. “I mean, really, they can’t kill `The Bug Man’! Being a fan, I don’t know how I’m going to feel when the new guy shows up.” By the way, the “new guy” is Fishburne.’

The Times piece went on to quote Fishburne: “I’ve tried to approach this with an open mind — and a great deal of humility as well,” said Fishburne, his closely cropped hair speckled with gray. “And I’m not fooling myself — I am filling the shoes of a man who is irreplaceable. Once I recognized that, then I knew exactly what my responsibility was. My purpose is to serve the show. That’s one of the most important things to remember. This is not about me. This is about the audience.”

He added, “What’s really wonderful is that the writing team has managed to introduce my character while also giving Grissom a beautiful send-off. The way he exits the series is very smart.”

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