Helgenberger: A Great Mystery Will Always Be Popular

According to leading lady Marg Helgenberger (Catherine Willows), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation has been delivering a modern day Sherlock Holmes story to fans for the past decade. (Minor spoilers and embedded video after the jump!)

Helgenberger knew CSI would do well from the very beginning. “I had a very strong hunch when I read the script of CSI, the original script, that it had a very strong chance of becoming a success,” the actress told Corriere TV. However, she added, “I wouldn’t have guessed it to be as successful as it is. It’s a world-wide success, [and] it’s inspired generations of kids to become criminalists. I wouldn’t have anticipated it to become a global hit, but you know, as I always say, too, that a great mystery show will always be popular.”

Helgenberger explained that CSI combines the latest forensic technology with “old-fashioned storytelling” to create a new twist on the mystery genre. “I always describe CSI as a modern day Sherlock Holmes,” she said. “It’s Sherlock Holmes for the twenty-first century.”

Although CSI is a fictional television show, there are elements of the series that are all-too-real. “Many of the stories on CSI are based on real crimes,” Helgenberger explained. “In fact, those are the ones that I, as an actor, feel most compelled to do justice to because either I have access to the police reports, or I have access to perhaps even some of the people who were involved in solving that crime.” Getting to hear those stories makes Helgenberger eager to “do them justice and be honest and truthful.”

“Catherine is a very strong woman,” the actress said of her character. “Yeah she is a role model and I feel a responsibility towards the young people. I want to make sure that I’m presenting this character in the best possible light and [as] somebody who’s got all the qualities I would like to see in a young person: intelligence, someone who’s thorough, someone who’s passionate about what they do, someone who’s competent, somebody who’s got incredible integrity and strength.”

When Helgenberger met with the CSI producers a few weeks ago, she got some hints about what’s coming up during the show’s eleventh season. “There’s some special guest stars which I don’t want to reveal because it will spoil the surprise,” she said. However, the actress did say the show will address the fate of Dr Ray Langston (Laurence Fishburne), who was stabbed in the season ten finale. “I know in the beginning of the season we’re going to wrap up how our tenth season ended because it was a bit of a cliffhanger,” the actress revealed.

“Catherine has a boyfriend [Detective Vartann, Alex Carter] on the show now which I couldn’t be happier with because it’s something that I’ve wanted for a while,” Helgenberger continued. “I wanted to show a little bit more intimate side of Catherine because she’s always so kind of contained and together, and this shows her vulnerability and shows her passion.”

You can see the video embedded below: