Here's What These Stars Have Been Up To Since Saying Goodbye To CSI

It doesn't take a forensic scientist to understand the popularity or legacy of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." The show followed a group of ace investigators as they solved crimes across Las Vegas. It ran for 15 seasons, garnered six Emmy wins, spawned multiple spin-off series — including "CSI: Miami," which had a great cast — and ended in a made-for-TV movie that featured many of the original show's beloved characters. The "CSI" franchise is one of the biggest crime procedural franchises in TV history, going head-to-head with behemoths like "Law & Order" and "NCIS."

In a 2014 chat with The Killing Times, actor Elisabeth Shue reflected on the legacy of "CSI" and noted that the cast was a big reason why it stayed on the air for as long as it did. "I think the actors are extraordinary. All of them are so unique and strong in such individual ways that I think they are all still so compelling." Alas, nothing gold can stay. Whether by choice or due to the show's natural end, everyone's time on "CSI" eventually came to a close. Here's what these stars have been up to since saying goodbye to "CSI."

The cast of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" has always been a healthy mix of actors whose careers got a major boost thanks to the show and actors who were plenty busy beforehand. Elisabeth Shue's complete evolution includes joining "CSI" in 2012 after a long career in film defined by projects like "The Saint" and "Leaving Las Vegas," the latter of which earned her an Oscar nomination. Shue's time on "CSI" is the longest she's spent in any one role, and it marked the first time since 1985 she was on a TV series for more than one episode.

Unlike many of her "CSI" contemporaries, Shue never reprised her role for any of the show's spin-offs, but she has incorporated more television work into her acting diet since "CSI" ended in 2015. Among the shows are "Cobra Kai," "On the Verge," "Super Pumped," and the hit Amazon series "The Boys." But even with all this new work, Shue still reflects on some of her earliest hits. Back in 1987, Shue starred in "Adventures in Babysitting," and when the movie turned 25, she shared in a 2022 interview with Today that she still looks back on the role fondly. "That was probably one of my favorite experiences in film, like at the top, top, top of every experience I had. I had so, so, so much fun. I think you can probably see it in my performance. I probably had way too much fun," Shue said.

Ted Danson was famous before he was on "CSI," and he's remained famous long after leaving "CSI." The "Cheers" alum first joined the "CSI" roster in 2011 as D.B. Russell and then revisited his role in a few spin-offs. Danson's most recent "CSI" appearance was "CSI: Cyber" in 2016, and since then, he's continued to stay busy. The same year that his time on "CSI" ended, Danson returned to his sitcom roots to star on "The Good Place" alongside Kristen Bell, and after that ended, he took on a role as the eponymous politician in "Mr. Mayor."

One of Danson's most recent roles was Charles in "A Man on the Inside." In the Netflix comedy, which premiered in 2024, Danson stars as a private investigator at an assisted living facility. In a 2025 interview with People, the TV veteran, who was 77 at the time, shared that he thought he was going to work less after turning 70. However, he's found the opposite to be true, and he credits that to a positive mindset. "Keep your foot on the gas pedal, stay curious, get out there and stay hopeful," he said. "It's not just altruistic. It's good for your health. It's good for your energy. It's fun — life becomes fun at any age," he added.

When he joined the cast of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" in 2008, it was hardly Laurence Fishburne's big break. The Oscar nominee had been working in Hollywood for decades already, with credits like "The Color Purple" and "The Matrix" to his name. Fishburne played Dr. Ray Langston in the series, and he revisited the role in a few other "CSI" shows. Unsurprisingly, leaving "CSI" had zero negative impact on the silver screen legend's career. Fishburne has been working steadily ever since, notably joining his old "Matrix" co-star Keanu Reeves for the second, third, and fourth installments of the hit action franchise "John Wick." Fishburne also had a recurring role on "Black-ish" and starred in a handful of movies since leaving "CSI."

In 2025, Fishburne joined the cast of another popular series, "The Witcher." The Netflix original follows a monster hunter and has featured actors like Liam Hemsworth and Henry Cavill, among others. Fishburne played a vampire named Regis who's several hundred years old. "I was just really excited to be a part of this world. I've not [acted] in a fantasy thing like this before. I'm a big fan of fantasy and science fiction, and when they asked me to join them, I was like, 'Oh, this is interesting. This is something I've always wished to be able to do, and now I'm getting an opportunity to do it,'" Fishburne told Tudum of the role in 2025.

David Berman's acting resume is relatively short compared to the filmographies of some of his colleagues, but it's full of hits. The actor joined the cast of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" when the series started in 2000, and he remained part of the cast until it ended in 2015. During that time, Berman appeared on shows like "Desperate Housewives" and "Drop Dead Diva," and in 2015 he played his iconic character David Phillips for one last project, the "CSI" movie "Immortality." Phillips was very sad to say goodbye to the show. "I started on the show when I was twenty-four, it's been sixteen years, I've been doing this most of my life, certainly the vast majority of my professional life, so it's sad. I'm incredibly grateful and reflective. My best friends are on the show, and it's given me not only a livelihood but a real sense of identity, and I'm going to miss that," Berman told Assignment X when "CSI" ended.

Since "CSI," Berman has gone on to appear in some series, mostly procedurals. From 2015 to 2020, he had roles on shows such as "Bones" and "The Blacklist," then he took about a four-year hiatus from acting, the timing coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, Berman appeared on screen again, this time in an episode of "Chicago Med," and he's also appeared on "The Rookie" and "NCIS" since returning to work.

Multiple former "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" stars have gone on to star in other projects, but few have been as busy as Wallace Langham in his post-"CSI" career. Langham's quest to seemingly act in as many projects as possible after "CSI" ended shouldn't have been too surprising; while playing David Hodges on the iconic police procedural, Langham also had roles in huge films and TV series, such as "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Little Miss Sunshine," "The Social Network," and "Drop Dead Diva," among others. Langham stayed with "CSI" until the end of its run, and he returned to the role for the TV movie "CSI: Immortality," as well as four episodes of the spin-off series "CSI: Vegas." "Last day. Last scene with handsome Ted Danson. There are tears behind that smile," Langham captioned a 2015 Instagram photo of himself and co-star Ted Danson while wrapping "CSI."

In addition to Langham's "CSI" credits, the actor appeared on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Grey's Anatomy," "Criminal Minds," "Young Sheldon," "Shameless," "The Resident," "Mom," "1923," and "Perry Mason." And those are just the series he's been part of. Langham also appeared in films like "LBJ," "Battle of the Sexes," "The Alto Nights," and "Ford vs. Ferrari," among others. Langham has also directed and produced some since "CSI" ended, but acting appears to be his primary focus. 

Few people are as synonymous with "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" as Paul Guilfoyle. Guilfoyle was with the original series for nearly its entire run, playing his famed character, Captain Jim Brass, again in 2015's "CSI: Immortality" and in 2021 on a couple episodes of "CSI: Vegas" before retiring him for good. Guilfoyle was a sought-after actor before and during his time on "CSI," and that continued after the series ended. Guilfoyle has done a mix of television and film since 2015, with "The Good Fight," "The Morning Show," "A Million Little Things," and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" among his most notable credits.

Guilfoyle has gotten to dig into great characters in his recent roles. In 2024, Guilfoyle starred as Marty in the film "Any Day Now," and he said in an interview with Daily Actor, "Everyone, you know, as an actor wants character-driven drama. I mean, that's why I got involved in it." Guilfoyle also shared how much he enjoyed working with his co-star Taylor Gray. "He's an easy guy to get along with. He's a very curious guy and he's a kind of a throwback where he himself wants to do acting like the acting of Lee Strasberg. So, he was great, and he was open to that and it kind of developed over time. We formed a nice relationship," Guilfoyle said.

Although William Petersen had dozens of credits to his resume before getting the role of Gil Grissom on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" — including classics like "Manhunter" and "To Live and Die in L.A." — he's best known for his work on the police procedural. After about 13 years and nearly 200 episodes on the show, Petersen decided to leave "CSI," and as he only had a few acting jobs afterward, including "CSI: Immortality" and a short arc on "CSI: Vegas," his work on the hit franchise effectively cemented his legacy as an actor. Petersen has since retired, with "CSI: Vegas" serving as his last acting role in 2021.

Petersen was part of the "CSI" world in more ways than one. In addition to acting, he produced the original "CSI" series, and he served as executive producer of both "CSI: Immortality" and "CSI: Vegas." When the show turned 25 in 2025, Petersen had the chance to reflect on the television universe he helped build, noting that much of the time he spent working on it had blurred together. "We felt no restraint because nobody was bothering us from the network or promotional people. They didn't know what we were doing! We were off in Santa Clarita, we weren't anywhere near Hollywood. And we were creating something that we hoped would be fun for us, thinking that if it was fun for us, it might be fun for an audience," Petersen told Gold Derby in 2025 of the freedom the "CSI" team felt while making the series.

Like a few of her co-stars, Marg Helgenberger had a flourishing acting career prior to being cast on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." Before the hit crime procedural show, Helgenberger had roles in film and TV, with "Species" and "Erin Brockovich" among her most notable credits. The actor stayed with the series for about 13 years before leaving, and she returned for 2015's "CSI: Immortality" and was in most of "CSI: Vegas" until the series ended in 2024. Since the end of "CSI: Vegas," Helgenberger has not acted on screen.

In between her two major "CSI" gigs, Helgenberger stayed busy filming TV and movies, including "Behind Enemy Lines" and "A Dog's Journey." Her biggest project, however, was a series called "All Rise," which starred Simone Missick and Wilson Bethel. Helgenberger played a judge in the legal drama, and she studied a real judge ahead of her time acting on the series. "It's fascinating — the precision needed to decide who's telling the truth and who's stretching the truth," Helgenberger said in a 2019 AARP interview of the work and responsibilities that come with being a real-life judge. As for her own job? "I'm not afraid of hard work — that's probably my superpower," Helgenberger said.

Actor George Eads played Nick Stokes on all 335 episodes of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," appearing on more episodes than anyone else in the cast. Throughout the series' run, Eads didn't act in much else, nor did he reprise his role for the "CSI" movie or any spin-off series. The bulk of Eads' acting career has been dominated by the original "CSI" series, and he hasn't been particularly busy as an actor since the show ended. Among his post-"CSI" roles have been the TV movie "Michael Jackson's Halloween" and the movie "The Battle of Jangsari."

Eads' biggest project since "CSI" has been "MacGyver." The actor joined the rebooted series as Jack Dalton and stayed with the show for three seasons. In late 2018, it was reported that in the following year Eads would be leaving the action series. Sources claimed that Eads had conflict on set in Atlanta and left production early one day, but the actor had apparently already been let out of his contract early as he wanted to spend more time with his daughter in Los Angeles. Eads' final episode of "MacGyver" aired in 2019, and the show continued for two more seasons after that. In 2020 and 2021, Eads appeared on two episodes of the hit drama series "This Is Us." As of this writing, he has not publicly announced his retirement, but Eads hasn't acted in anything since "This Is Us."

Jorja Fox was on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" from the very beginning, joining the cast for the show's first season. And she stayed until the very end ... aside from an exit in the middle of the series that led to her appearing in fewer episodes than was typical for a couple of seasons. And the real reason Fox left "CSI"? In a 2007 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Fox said, "There are so many things I want to do! Some are personal. Some are professional. And I really need to do some of them before I get too old ... It's a really intense place to work. A lot of the stories [on the show] do end sadly and badly. That's been one of the things I've struggled with — the violence ... It's really good for me to take a break from it."

As noted, Fox didn't stay gone for long. She rejoined the cast full time for the later seasons and returned to the role for the "CSI" movie. After "CSI" ended for everybody, Fox took some time off before taking on just three projects — the movies "Chiefs," "3022," and "The Map of Tiny Perfect Things." Then in 2021, Fox joined the cast of "CSI: Vegas," again playing Sara Sidle, but she only stayed with the show for 10 episodes before exiting the television world again. Fox hasn't acted on screen in anything since, so it seems she's retired from acting, though she hasn't made any formal announcement to the public.