Fishburne: There's Stuff He Needs To Know

By Rachel
December 6, 2008 - 4:18 AM

See Also: '19 Down...' Episode Guide

It's out with the old and in with the new.

Laurence Fishburne (Dr Raymond Langston) heard rumours about his addition to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation before he'd even been contacted about joining the show. He dismissed the rumours until he was actually asked to consider the role. "I like the tone of the show," Fishburne told CBS. "It's really kind of dark, but it's also got a lot of humor in it too. So the balance of those two things made me think, 'Oh yeah, this is something I'd be willing to do, and I'd probably wind up having a really good time doing it.'" The actor explained, "I thought it was a natural for me and that I was a good fit for it, so I said yes." Fishburne's first appearance will be in the December 11 episode, "19 Down".

"The character I play, Dr Raymond Langston, is a guy who was a pathologist who worked in a hospital," Fishburne shared. "One of his colleagues turned out to be an angel of death." The character was very close to someone who was committing terrible crimes, but he didn't see what was right in front of him. "So it upset him and he consequently wrote a book about it, and I think it has left him feeling like there's stuff he doesn't know, that he needs to know," Fishburne said.

That need for knowledge leads Raymond to the Las Vegas crime lab, where he becomes a forensic scientist. Fishburne will be replacing William Petersen (Gil Grissom) as the show's leading man, but Raymond won't be replacing Grissom as the team's leader. "He plays a different character entirely and will be approaching the whole thing from a completely different level," Petersen said. Fishburne explained, "When we meet him, he will enter as a CSI one, so he's the low man on the totem pole, but he has all this pathological experience, which is kind of an interesting thing to play."

"He's a pretty no-nonsense guy," Fishburne said of his character. "Being an academic and having a lot of practical knowledge with bodies once they've been removed from a crime scene is one thing. Actually encountering a body the first time at a crime scene, that's a different experience, and I'm sure that will have an effect on this character."

The addition of Fishburne is "gonna be great for everybody," Petersen said. "I think it's great for the show that it has a new major character to write for." The choice of actor to portray the newest team member is also a positive thing according to CSI's current leading man. "I think Laurence will love it here. He's a wonderful guy," Petersen explained. "I've always loved him as an actor, and the opportunity to have him be here on the show is as good as it could be." Fishburne's mission on CSI will be to "integrate myself into the show and figure out what my place is and find out what my niche is," the actor explained. "What things can I bring that will make the show interesting?"

The original interviews are from the CBS channel on YouTube and can be found in two videos, here and here. They can also be watched below.