You pray to the literary gods and hope that you get something really great. Career-wise, I’ve definitely got to do some kind of Broadway or off-Broadway show. Helgenberger: I’ve never been to any country in South America or Asia. My worst day on CSI was vastly superior to my best day at the packinghouse. I was issued a set of knives, and I wore snowmobile boots, a hard hat and a frock. I handled beef carcasses on an assembly line in a cooler. Helgenberger: Yeah, I did that for three or four summers. THR: Is it true you worked at a meatpacking plant when you were in high school? I loosely based her on my mom, who is a cancer survivor, and other hardworking people I know in the Midwest. I loved that even though she was suffering from cancers that were brought on by chromium-6 in the groundwater in Hinkley, Calif., she always had such a sunny disposition and a spirit about her - she just pulled herself back up by her bootstraps. Who could not love Blanche DuBois? The role I had in Erin Brockovich was a very good one - small but meaty and emotionally charged. STORY: Marg Helgenberger Leaving ‘CSI’ in January It was exhausting - even harder than CSI in terms of the amount of hours - but such a great experience. She was a prostitute and an entrepreneur.
It was dramatic, ambitious and groundbreaking in that it was told from a woman’s point of view. I wouldn’t mind seeing China Beach, though.
THR: Do you ever go back and watch performances from your first TV role on Ryan’s Hope? Now he works in the CSI production office. We went through a bar mitzvah, high school graduation, sending him off to college. Helgenberger: My son, Hugh, was 9 when we started shooting.
THR: During that time, you were raising a son. In that 12-year span, there were lots of changes in my life. I don’t have the energy at 53 that I did when I started this show at 41. I’m 53 now, and I feel like I’m still young enough to switch it up. Helgenberger: I instinctively felt it was time to end that chapter of my career.
STORY: ‘CSI’: Elisabeth Shue Joins as Series Regular That was one of the reasons that made it so special and why it was so hard to leave. Even if we didn’t like the location or the cold or the hour of the night, I always loved being with the CSI cast. I enjoyed bringing material to life and playing off other people. Acting gave me the opportunity to express myself. Helgenberger: Actually, I got the bug in high school, but in terms of thinking this could be a possible career, it was that production and that role. THR: I hear you became seriously interested in acting after portraying Blanche DuBois in a college production of A Streetcar Named Desire. Doing a musical comedy would be a lot of fun. I’ve been in meetings - a possible television series. STORY: ‘CSI’ Creator Recalls Casting Marg Helgenberger But I knew in 2 ½ months, after I was rested, I’d have something to go back to. Whenever we went on hiatus every April, I was always ready for it - we put in so many months going for so many hours at a time, I was tired. Letting go of a show that has been an enormous part of my life for 12 years isn’t easy. Helgenberger: A little of both, actually. THR: Are you looking forward to some time off, or are you eager for your next gig? That’s what we’ve always had on CSI, and that’s why, in large part, it’s still a success. The execution of a great idea in television involves so many people, and to sustain that for as many years as we have takes a group of people that are incredibly dedicated, passionate and committed and who enjoy each other’s company. Marg Helgenberger: The creative, collaborative camaraderie. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: Twelve years is a long time to be on a show. THR spoke to the actress about saying goodbye to the show after 12 years, and her plans for the near and far future. Her final episode aired on Wednesday, Jan.
Nebraska native Marg Helgenberger, 53, taped her last episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, the CBS drama in which she has starred since its 2000 premiere, in early December.