Marg Helgenberger Leaves ‘CSI’ at the End of the Season

Marg Helgenberger, who has been on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” ever since it premiered, has announced that she will be leaving the show at the end of the next season, the 12th so far. Nevertheless, there’s still a slim chance that her character may return later on, the actress says.

The 52-year-old Emmy-winning actress, known for her portrayal of Catherine Willows to fans of the series, said during a recent press event that she initially wanted out of her contract at the end of the eleventh season, AceShowbiz informs.

She was talked into staying for longer, so that writers and producers could come up with the best storyline for Catherine’s exit.

“The combination of that info and me having a hard time letting go of this show and this group of people, I said, ‘Yeah, I’m not done playing this character; I’m not done letting go of this group of people’,” Marg told the press the other day, as cited by the aforementioned publication.

“Marg will be around through January, so episode 12,” executive producer Carol Mendelsohn also said, confirming that the season finale will be the exact episode when fans will have to say goodbye to Catherine on the longstanding series.

Mendelsohn then went on to hint that fans shouldn’t fret too much over the departure: it might not be for good.

“People come and go and come back, so hopefully when we say goodbye, that won’t be the last time we see her,” the executive producer said.

There would always be a door left open for Catherine to return, Marg added. What fans can take from this is that the character will most definitely not be killed off – just assigned someplace else.

“[The odds that this is my last season] are pretty strong. Yeah, I mean, there’s chance [I’d come back]. They’ve always left the door open for me,” the actress explained.

With one of the original stars out of the picture, at least for now, “CSI” will also witness the arrival of a new one: “Cheers” star Ted Danson will star as D.B. Russell, after Laurence Fishbourne’s departure.