'CSI' Cast, Crew's Chicago Connection

CSI actor William Petersen of Evanston, executive producer Carol Mendelson of Chicago and series creator Anthony Zuiker of Blue Island spoke to an Illinois television station about the series and their hometown memories.

In an interview with CBS 2, the Chicago network affiliate, "Billy" Petersen admitted that he had no interest in forensics when he was in school. "I never had any science background at all and was terrible when I had to take it and had no interest in it," he said.

Petersen — the son of a furniture-maker whose parents still live in Chicago's North Shore — is now engaged to be married to a former Chicago high school science teacher and has sat in on her classes. "She actually used some of the [CSI] episodes to entice her students," he said.

Mendelson, who left Chicago to produce Melrose Place before working on CSI, said that she is interested in incorporating Chicago-inspired stories such as recent deadly dog attacks into CSI.

"All roads lead to Chicago on this show," she noted. "Even though we love Vegas, we love Chicago more."

Zuiker joked that he would like to win a Pulitzer Prize for the impact of the top-rated series. "When people go in to juries...defense attorneys ask, 'Do you watch CSI?'" he said.

To read more about Petersen's youth near Lake Michigan and Zuiker's aspirations, read the full article here.

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