Fox Plays Characters On Both Sides Of The Law

Former CSI: Crime Scene Investigation star Jorja Fox wears the handcuffs in this week's episode of Drop Dead Diva, and she will return to her role as a crime fighter this fall.

Diva is a legal series on Lifetime from former CSI writer and producer Josh Berman. The show follows the story of a beautiful woman who dies and returns to earth in the body of a plus-sized attorney. Fox will guest star in this week's episode as a woman who has been hiding for 20 years. In the past, the character was an unwitting accomplice to a robbery gone wrong, and in the present she is faced with the consequences of her actions all those years ago. She goes to the title character, Jane Bingum (Brooke Elliott), for help. "I've been trying to get into an orange jumpsuit for years," Fox told the NY Daily News. "I hope I pulled it off."

"I just love the show," Fox said of Diva. "It reminds me a lot of The Love Boat, which was one of my favorites as a kid." She added, "It's funny but always poignant, and I'm honored to be a part of all the amazing guest stars they're bringing in." Fox also appreciates the message of the show. "It is never too late to go back and try and start life over," the actress explained to the Fresno Bee. "The show talks about how you should never give up and there is a place for second chances"

Diva has a "spirit of love" that Fox enjoys, but the atmosphere is very different than a series like CSI. In the show, Jane works alongside the man she loved in her former life, Greyson Kent (Jackson Hurst). "I've had dreams of doing some type of a romantic comedy for years," Fox said. "William Petersen [Gil Grissom] and myself, we drew on that as often as possible, but CSI isn't really the right genre for romantic comedy."

Fox might be taking a turn on the other side of the law, but the actress is also set to reprise her role as Sara Sidle on CSI for at least five episodes during the upcoming tenth season. Fox said her return would "blow minds", but she didn't give away many details. "The only thing I can say is that last year was a really hard year for all the CSIs, within the context of the story," she explained. "Sara loves everyone and will always have a loyalty there, so she's back for a little bit to see if she can help." Fox admitted, "I'm a little rusty with the lingo and the gadgets. It's been two years since I've been at CSI. I was in a couple of episodes last year, but I wasn't on the job."

The actress left the role during season eight for personal reasons, and she returned for several episodes during the ninth season. "My feet were pretty heavy and the last thing I wanted was the audience to sense that. Even when I left, I knew I would love to go back and visit the role," Fox said. "So when I decided to go back it was easy to put the vest back on."

The original articles are from the Fresno Bee and the NY Daily News. Pictures of Fox in her guest-starring role on Diva can be seen on Daemon's TV. Drop Dead Diva airs Sunday nights at 9:00pm ET/PT on Lifetime. Thanks to mandy9578 for the heads up.

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