Xander Berkeley To Play New Sheriff

See Also: 'Invisible Evidence' Episode Guide

Xander Berkeley has left Los Angeles' Counter Terrorism Unit for a new position: Sheriff of Las Vegas.

The former 24 actor will play the recurring role of Sheriff Rory Atwater on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation this season, Zap2it reported. Berkeley's first episode is "Invisible Evidence" but he is set to appear in CSI instalments throughout the season in a similar manner to Sheriff Mobley during the show's first year.

"Invisible Evidence" reportedly involves a seemingly open-and-shut case that gets complicated when a court rejects the original evidence. According to the episode's synopsis at Yahoo! TV, Sheriff Atwater "scapegoats Warrick for the courtroom debacle".

The episode was directed by executive producer Danny Cannon, who has helmed numerous CSI outings, including the "Pilot", which established the show's unique visual style. Supervising producer Josh Berman penned the script with newcomer Kathleen Butler.

Xander Berkeley is an accomplished character actor with credits ranging from dramatic pieces such as The Cherry Orchard and A Few Good Men to action films like Terminator 2 and Air Force One. However, it was his role as George Mason on 24 that firmly thrust Berkeley into the spotlight, with the series earning him and other cast members a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series.

The original news can be found here at Zap2it.

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