It was revealed yesterday that Laurence Fishburne will be joining CSI in its ninth season. He’ll be replacing William Petersen, who stated this summer of leaving the number-one series to pursue other opportunities.
A veteran of stage and screen, Fishburne has been known to moviegoers for his Oscar-nominated turn as Ike Turner in 1993’s What’s Love Got to Do With It?, and as Morpheus in the highly successful Matrix trilogy.
Both the 47-year-old and executive producers Carol Mendelsohn and Naren Shankar spoke to Kristin Dos Santos on E! Online yesterday on what’s ahead for the new season, Petersen’s going and Fishburne’s coming:
Shankar said that the addition of Fishburne’s “Professor” during CSI‘s ninth season has make the show fresh.
“It takes a special personality to be willing to start new — to a place where you’re not in charge of everything — and start over” she continued. “And the character will feel very at home in the bowels at the coroner’s office, a little more comfortable than he feels in the halls of the CSI office.”
As for Petersen, he’ll be making recurring guest spots as Grissom in future episodes, and will also stay on as executive producer of the show. Season nine of CSI will start airing on October 9 at 9pm on CBS.
