Cougars Are On The Prowl In ‘Miami’

Cheryl Ladd and Tia Carrere are under suspicion in this week’s episode of CSI: Miami, “Bolt Action”. (Minor spoilers and embedded video after the jump.)

The actresses portray “cougars” (older women dating younger men) who become suspects after several young men die during a volleyball game. “I was excited about it because I don’t get these roles often. Rarely do I get to play a cougar,” Ladd said. “I loved it, it was just a challenge and lots of fun.”

“I think the term cougar is very funny,” Carrere shared. “Some of my lines in the show echo how I feel about it. Personally, I think the term is offensive. I think older men have dated women half their ages without any sort of recourse.” She added, “I think it is fascinating that as women work their way up the socio-economic strata that has previously been a man’s world, there has been a bit of role reversal, and I think television programming has reflected that.”

“I think on some level women love it because it is a little payback,” Ladd said. “More mature men have always dated much younger women, and we have all tried not to laugh. It wouldn’t necessarily be my choice, but I am not judging.”

Both actresses were glad to get roles on the show. “I’ve been a big fan of CSI: Miami for a while, and I’ve gone in to meet for a couple of roles, and I don’t know what it is, but I guess this part of the cougar was the one that they thought I was most appropriate for,” Carrere said. Ladd added, “I absolutely love the show. I watch it all the time. I love the fact that it’s so stylized, it’s got a color theme, they make Miami look beyond—it’s like the Oz of cities, it’s so beautifully done. All the people look great on it. There’s always something interesting in the plot that surprises you. The actors are good, and it’s just a great ride.”

The video can be seen below: