The who in "CSI: New York" has been set: Gary Sinise has signed on for the lead role in the third installment of the hit crime franchise.
CBS and the show's producers had been wooing Sinise for several weeks (Daily Variety, March 8), but the deal wasn't officially confirmed until Wednesday. Eye chairman-CEO Leslie Moonves met with the actor three weeks ago to discuss the part, which reps the Oscar-nommed thesp's first commitment to a weekly TV series.
Since "CSI: New York" will be an offshoot of an existing franchise, "To get an actor like Gary Sinise (to star) really gives the show its own distinct identity," Moonves told Daily Variety. "This just adds to the overall quality."
Thesp will play Detective Rick Calucci, an elite first-grade detective of a New York CSI unit. Character will be a widower who lost his wife on 9/11, according to series creator Anthony Zuiker.
"He has a soulfulness about him and really represents the pulse of New York," Zuiker said. This series is "going to be far more character-driven. We'll attempt to open up the characters more right from the start."
In addition, Zuiker said the new installment of "CSI" will travel outside of Gotham once during the season. "It could be to investigate a war crime in Iraq or 16 people stuck in a mountain in Alaska," he said.
Music will also be key, with songs from the 1960s and '70s serving as emotional touch points for episodes, Zuiker said. A classic Who song will also be used as the theme, holding to a tradition that began with the first installment of the franchise.
Sinise makes his debut in a May sweeps episode of "CSI: Miami" that will serve as the pilot for the third "CSI." Episode will find "Miami" lead David Caruso following the evidence to Gotham, where he'll interact with the cast of the new show.
Zuiker, who created the original "CSI," will create and be showrunner of the Gotham spinoff, writing its pilot with his fellow "CSI" and "CSI: Miami" exec producers Carol Mendelsohn and Ann Donahue. Danny Cannon will direct the pilot and be an exec producer on the series (Daily Variety, March 17).
Zuiker said he had "a four-hour dinner, a real meeting of the minds" with Sinise about six weeks ago to discuss the role.
"I walked out of there thinking we had a lot to offer each other, showrunner to star," Zuiker said. "I've been in hell since then (until the deal closed)."
Two of the three other main characters in the show have already been cast, with a female lead yet to be announced.
Sinise most recently appeared in "The Big Bounce" and "The Human Stain." Other credits include "The Green Mile," "Ransom," "Apollo 13" and "Forrest Gump." He snagged an Oscar nom for his role in the latter pic.
Thesp won an Emmy for his portrayal of George Wallace in the 1997 telepic and a Golden Globe for playing Harry Truman in 1995's TNT telepic "Truman." (As reported by VARIETY)
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