Dourdan: 'CSI' Popular With Black Audiences

Gary Dourdan, who plays Warrick Brown on CSI: Crime Scene Investigations was thrilled to learn from CBS executives that CSI is the top-watched show in black households.

Dourdan told radio show host Tavis Smiley on his radio show that he's very proud of the show's status among African-Americans. "I've gotten notes from my superiors at CBS and Viacom, and they've told me that it's the number one show in black households, which I was really surprised about," he said. "I thought that there was a lot of other shows that featured an all-black cast that that wouldn't be possible." It's only made Dourdan even more proud of his role in the show. "But to have this drama that I'm the only ethnicity on this show be the number one show in black households, I feel like a pride that you can't even imagine," he told Smiley.

Dourdan also noted that he's picked up most of his science knowledge on the show. When Smiley asked him how he did in science in high school, Dourdan answered frankly: "I stunk." Luckily, he's a quick study on the CSI set.

"I learn everything I learn now on the job," he revealed. "It's on-the-job training. They teach me and I go, 'Really? Is that what that's for?' But it's fantastic because I get to learn every day at work. They teach me 5-syllable Latin words and I'm able to retain 'em. My short-term memory is great!"

Dourdan also expressed great admiration for teachers, and is inspired when teachers tell him they show CSI to their classes to teach them about science. "I have teachers come up to me and say, 'We showed your show in our schools because it helps us teach,'" Dourdan said. "And I like that because...a lot of teachers are not getting paid a lot of money, and they come to school disgruntled, and they want to put a little bit of life into their work, so they use our show as an example. So on a couple of levels, I'm really proud about being on this particular show."

Dourdan also talked about his pre-CSI days, when he was struggling to make it as an actor. Prior to winning the role of Warrick Brown, Dourdan appeared in Alien: Resurrection and A Different World. But before that, he worked quite a few different odd jobs.

"Yeah, well, you know, in New York, back in the day, as an artist, I was doing theater," he said. "I had a band. I had 2 bands. I was working 3 different jobs. I was a bartender. I was a doorman. I was doing anything I could."

To read the entire transcript, visit it here at Smiley's website.

Discuss this news item at Talk CSI!
 Add CSI Files RSS feed to your news reader or My Yahoo!
Also a Desperate Housewives fan? Then visit GetDesperate.com!