Though CSI: Crime Scene Investigation has featured a bevy of rotating detectives throughout its twelve season run, one name certainly sticks out amongst the rest: Detective Vartann. Alex Carter plays one of Las Vegas’ finest detectives–in more ways than one, some will argue–but also gets the very high honor of playing a member of law enforcement who shares somewhat of a romantic relationship with a CSI. In an exclusive interview with CSI Files’ Shane Saunders, Carter discusses where his relationship stands with Catherine Willows, name changes, and which CSI star he’s hoping to work with again. Spoilers after the jump!

CSI Files: Vartann made his first appearance since “The List” during last week’s “Brain Doe.” Is there a certain reason why there was such a long gap?

Alex Carter: That’s a good question, you should ask CBS that. I have no idea. There’s been some changes with writers and producers the last couple years and some cast changes as well. I think transitioning into a new team–when I started the relationship stuff with Marg [Helgenberger, Catherine Willows], it was a couple of specific writers who came up with that idea and those writers are gone. I have no idea what happens behind doors but there has been some transition with writers and I think every time you make that change it might take a while for people to get to know you. I love working on the show so when they call and I’m available it’s always great for me. It’s an easy show to step in and step out of. It’s first rate and everyone is very welcoming and super nice. It’s one of the best and easiest jobs I’ve ever had so for me I’d rather be doing CSI than to go off and do another show.

In 2003 there was a writer, Josh Berman, who I worked with on a big episode. He liked some of the stuff I did and he came up to me and said, “You’re going to be in every episode I write.” He was true to his word. He left the show and went on to do his own stuff. So there’s always that transition.

CSI Files: The status of Catherine and Vartann is clearly undefined. What’s your read on the relationship?

Carter: Well, again, you have to work with what you get. For instance, when I first came back for this episode and not having been in in how many episodes I haven’t been in, you just have to make a decision and say, “I guess we maybe sleep together occasionally; it’s a relationship of convenience.” Obviously we don’t live together and don’t have a true relationship because it doesn’t make any sense if you haven’t seen me in a while. It’s more a result of the realities of the writing in the show. To me, it never made sense to come in and have a really strong episode with her, say something’s happening in the relationship, and then all of a sudden you’re not there for a while; I was confused as an actor. It doesn’t make sense to me either.

CSI Files: It seems Vartann wants something, but Catherine isn’t quite sure…

Carter: Yeah, I think she’s afraid to make that committment. Once again, that comes as a surprise to me. I read the scripts and go, “It appears that I’m a little jealous here.” When I play scenes with Marg, I have nothing but really great chemistry with her. Personally, like when we’re on set, we get along really well and we combine a lot of little nuances into those scenes. Sometimes the scene will ask you to have a conflict, but I can’t really have a lot of conflict with her. [Laughs.] I feel like just maybe kissing her. [Laughs.] I think these two episodes will reveal a bit on that note, but, yeah, my character seems to want more from her.

CSI Files: She was just offered a job in D.C. From what you know right now does it seem like there’s a future for them?

Carter: This script right now that I just read and about to shoot–I thought it was over. I thought, “I’m not sure what they’re going to do with the relationship.” And then I realized when I read it I went, “Oh! I’m definitely going to do the episode after that, too.” There’s a link that allows it to move forward. But in what way and what direction and what capacity? I have no idea. Even when I read the scene that I had with her coming up that we have to shoot I thought, “This is still open ended.” I don’t know where it’s going to go in the next episode. The following episode will be the answer to that I think.

CSI Files: Grissom (William Petersen) and Sara (Jorja Fox) are currently in a long-distance relationship, so it’s somewhat feasible they could end up together…

Carter: Anything is possible. I don’t know what Marg is going to do after she leaves, but everything is open.

CSI Files: Let’s talk about the upcoming episode “Crime After Crime.” Three separate crimes somehow connect to each other. How does Vartann factor in?

Carter: I have some history with one of the cases from the past. I worked on the case as a young detective.

CSI Files: Does Vartann interact at all with Catherine?

Carter: Yes.

CSI Files: Episode Nine–I don’t know if you’re in this one or not–but it introduces a possible new flame for Catherine.

Carter: Right.

CSI Files: Is Vartann aware of what transpires between her and the FBI agent played by Grant Show?

Carter: I am not in nine or ten, so I definitely wasn’t there for that. There’s a scene that kind of addresses a little bit of that in eleven.

CSI Files: How has the atmosphere on set changed since Marg’s leaving? Is it more melancholy than when you joined back in Season Four?

Carter: When I started on the show she’s exactly the same personality, same person now; so there’s nothing really different about her. She’s sort of steady as a rock. The show itself I think has a lighter, more energetic feel to it. I think Ted‘s [Danson, DB Russell] involvement in the show, everybody just–and I have yet to work with him–but everybody is just raving about him. I think it’s been a real boost to the show in spite of the fact she’s leaving. One might be bouncing off of the other. The time I saw her a couple weeks ago and we talked about her leaving and stuff, I think it’s just a lot of feelings to process and it hasn’t really sunk in. She said, “It’d be different if the entire show was coming to an end; we’d all be going through that together. The fact that I’m leaving and everybody else is staying is something I have to process on my own. And I just don’t know yet, there’s a lot of feelings about it.” But the mood was really great and positive and fun… I think because of Ted. Everybody said that to me. I was looking forward to meeting him and working with him, which hasn’t happened yet. In this episode we will work together. He’s a great guy and a lot of energy and apparently a lot of fun to work with.

CSI Files: Is there anything you can tease about these two upcoming episodes?

Carter: All I know is the episode that I read last night was kind of like a standard CSI episode on steroids. It really had a lot of stuff in the episode in addition to what I guess people expect from the show. It was really fun to read. I caught myself a couple times going, “Wow.” It had a lot to it.

I ran into the director of photography in Larchmont Village a couple weeks ago and he was prepping for this episode. He said it’s great and he was right. When I read the episode I was like, “This is going to be a really great episode.”

CSI Files: Last season’s “Targets Of Obsession” came very close to killing you off! What was your reaction when you read the script?

Carter: I don’t know. I didn’t think they would kill me off. One of the writers told me Marg’s had two relationships on the show–one turned out to be an asshole and the other one was killed. So they said they probably weren’t going to kill me or turn me into an asshole. I don’t know… that was the logic. I don’t remember having any feeling about it.

CSI Files: It’s kind of amazing how far your character has come since “Grissom Versus The Volcano.” Did you ever expect to be on the show for over seven seasons?

Carter: No. I think I left for a season… I was in a show with Grant! I worked on another series and I just wasn’t available. I don’t think I was on the show for a while and then I got a call, “Could you come back and do an episode next week?” I was shocked to get the call because I hadn’t been on the show for a long time. When the show started Ken Fink and Richard Lewis, the directors who did most of the episodes, I worked with them a lot; I had good relationships with them. When I worked with Ken he was really happy to have me on set. Richard Lewis is a really good friend of mine so working with him was really good.

CSI Files: Was Point Pleasant the show you worked on with Grant?

Carter: Yeah.

CSI Files: That’s interesting. Elisabeth Harnois (Morgan Brody) was on it as well.

Carter: That’s right. Elisabeth and Grant were on it.

CSI Files: When you first joined Vartann’s first name was “Tony,” and now it’s “Lou.” Why the change?

Carter: Boy, you’re really good man. You’re really good. I worked on the show, did a bunch of episodes, and they never had a first name. I didn’t even really want a first name. They asked me what I wanted for a first name and I was like, “Just keep it Vartann.” Then Anthony Zuiker, who created the show, was on set one day and I don’t even think I had met him. He walked over and went, “Hey, man.” We just started chatting and I thought he was one of the crew guys; he was very low-key, wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Very nice and personable. He goes, “I created your character” and I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about; I didn’t know who he was. [Laughs.] He says, “My wife really likes Michael Vartan who was on Alias. She really likes him so I created this character and called him Vartann.” Then I realized it was Anthony and he created CSI. So he created that name because his wife liked Michael Vartan. The first name… I don’t know. It was Tony at some point and Lou… I don’t know how all that stuff went down. I really don’t.

AUDIO FEATURE: Press ‘Play’ to hear Alex’s favorite moments from the show.

CSI Files’ Shane Saunders Interview With CSI’s Alex Carter by ShaneSSSaunders

CSI Files: Speaking of personal connections, I bet the sex scene in “Blood Moon” was a really boring day for you.

Carter: [Laughs.] That was a lot of fun. Forget the scene; Marg just likes to laugh and have a good time. That was fun and easy to do. When you like somebody, everything’s fun. The sex scene was actually really funny. We laughed a lot. When you’re uncomfortable or nervous then it becomes a lot of work. With her it was a lot of fun for a lot of reasons. She’s just great to work with. I’ve never seen her raise her voice, I’ve never seen her get pissy or angry at something, she respects everybody’s decision. Anybody on that call sheet comes up and has something to offer or has a question, she gives them the same amount of respect as she would to the director. She’s one of a kind. We had a lot of fun and laughs with that scene.

CSI Files: One of your most recent television appearances was on ABC’s Revenge. Any chance you’ll be going back to that?

Carter: I think so. Maybe. My character is the ex-husband of one of the series regulars, I guess. So, yeah. There’s a chance of that. Really nice people to work with.

CSI Files: Thinking way back to Veritas, who was your favorite love interest slash villain?

Carter: That’s easy. Liz Vassey. She was the best and when she showed up on that show we were all so tired and so beaten down because we started at six in the morning on a Monday every week and finished on a Saturday morning. She showed up and was funny and charming and beautiful. Very talented and a breath of fresh air. I would love to do a series with her. That’s a no brainer: she was the best. I’m sure CSI fans absolutely loved her because it’s hard not to like her.

Shane Saunders is a freelance writer and reviewer. His work can be seen on EDGE Network and ShaneSSaunders.com. Twitter: @ShaneSSaunders.

Former Executive Producer and writer Naren Shankar is attached to the new supernatural series Grimm. The NBC series stars Silar Weir Mitchell (“Room Service”) and Sasha Roiz (“Pool Shark”) and is scheduled to debut October 28 at 9PM.

Liz Vassey (Wendy Simms) also has something to be thankful for this TV season: her half-hour pilot has been sold. Details on the project are currently under wraps, but CSI Files wishes her all the best.

Art imitates life for CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’s Jon Wellner, as his alter ego is soon to be sporting two hats in the Las Vegas Crime Lab. The actor and head-researcher makes his first appearance in season twelve during this week’s episode “Bittersweet” with quite a reveal: he’s been promoted! CSI Files’ Shane Saunders spoke with Wellner—now in his seventh year on the show—this past Friday to discuss what’s in store for his character. (Some spoilers after the jump!)

CSI Files: You’re back in action Wednesday for the first time in season twelve. What’s Henry Andrews up to this season?

Jon Wellner: Well, as you will find out on Wednesday, Henry has been promoted to DNA tech; so I’m not only doing toxicology but I’m also the DNA tech, which I love.

CSI Files: Does he adapt well to his new responsibilities?

Wellner: Yeah, you’ll find that Henry loves having more responsibilities in the lab and he loves trying to prove to his superiors that he’s capable of handling all this. As an actor, I’m just so pleased and blessed to be given this opportunity.

CSI Files: With Henry working in DNA does he feel a bit emotional working in there, since Wendy previously occupied it?

Wellner: Right. That stuff hasn’t come out onscreen but when I think about it from a character standpoint; he’s following in the footsteps of a person that he loved. So it’s kind of remarkable to him like, oh he gets to do what Wendy did and he doesn’t want to screw it up; it’s like a sacred position at CSI.

CSI Files: If there’s one storyline this season for Henry what would you like it to be?

Wellner: [Laughs.] Gosh, there’s so many because we have the new characters. I think Henry probably has a crush on Morgan [Brody, Elisabeth Harnois], but is afraid to say so. He still has some issues with Hodges [Wallace Langham] and he wants to impress Russell. So I think there’s a lot of stories there.

CSI Files: Elisabeth Harnois and Jorja Fox (Sara Sidle) talked to me a few weeks ago and they said there’s a little bit of a love triangle going on this season. I can probably see Greg (Eric Szmanda) involved somehow; is Henry the other person?

Wellner: No, I think in terms of attractiveness Henry is pretty low on the totem pole. [Laughs.] I think as you saw last week, you saw Sanders start to get a little interested in Morgan and then Nick said ‘you don’t want to go there.’ We’ll see as the season goes on who develops more crushes. I’m interested to see.

CSI Files: Henry’s a little quirky and neurotic and new guy DB Russell (Ted Danson) has showed off a bit of his quirkiness. Do the two get along well?

Wellner: I love Ted Danson; bold, underline, all caps. [Laughs.] He’s the greatest and I’ve just been so lucky to work with—to go from Billy [Petersen, Gil Grissom] to Fishburne [Ray Langston] to Ted Danson, like how lucky can we be. I think Henry really appreciates how professional DB is and wants to impress him and solve some crimes. It’s a good mix; the fact that Russell has a sense of humor helps because Henry has a sense of humor, too. Sometimes with Grissom he would say a joke and he would just look at him and go, ‘what are you talking about?’ Maybe now that there’s a little more comedy in the air Henry feels freer to throw out some jokes.

CSI Files: This season there will be a lot more lightness compared to the gloom of the past couple seasons?

Wellner: I agree with that. I think Fishburne having a character with all of his backstory and pain dealing with a serial killer, you can’t really have but a dark season. Now for the first time bringing in a family guy who’s kind of a hippie and who doesn’t take his work too seriously, it’s refreshing and a change of pace. I think you can really feel it just by the two episodes you’ve seen; it almost feels like a new show with all this energy behind it. I think that’s the reality of it; of a real crime lab, too.

CSI Files: CSI has always been great but I feel the past two seasons were less science, more serial killer tracking down. Watching the first two episodes I was like… whoa; this is amazing.

Wellner: Absolutely. Last week I watched it with my wife and we both looked at each other and went, ‘oh my God, it’s like a new show again.’ It’s back to what makes CSI great; great story telling, great direction, great writing. It’s just fresh. I think you’re going to find the whole season plays that way.

CSI Files: And it’s not just one specific thing that’s been changed. I’ve noticed there’s more of an ensemble feel this season, they’ve gone back to the CSI shots which haven’t been put in as much lately, Catherine’s feisty again; it’s classic CSI.

Wellner: It’s almost like when a car gets updated; you go it’s the classic look of the car, but with an updated style. That’s what I feel; we’re back to what makes CSI great, but what makes it new and hip for today. They’ve managed to keep a show that’s twelve years old fresh and energetic and just thrilling. It’s a testament to how amazing the writers and producers are.

CSI Files: Wendy Simms (Liz Vassey) was very close to both Henry and Hodges, and both of you formed some sort of romantic relationship with her. You teased that you kind of have a crush on Morgan, but do you think there will be a love interest for Henry coming down the road?

Wellner: I honestly don’t really see that because there’s so many other characters to develop that with before you get to Henry. I know my place in the lab and I wonder if Henry just felt so burned about everything that happened that he’s going to go, ‘I’ll find my girls outside of the lab.’

CSI Files: Henry’s lab is really his home away from home and with Wendy gone and Catherine on her way out, do you think Henry will have a hard time coping with these significant losses?

Wellner: I think so. I think it was really hard when Wendy first left, but so much time has passed now that he’s over that. He doesn’t know that Catherine is leaving yet; I know as Jon Wellner that she is but Henry doesn’t know. But that’s the nature of the business. We’ve had lots of new people come in and out, and I think it’s like anything in life; it’s a little sad and bittersweet but someone comes in and work goes on. That’s why Henry’s there, for the work. He loves the work and the chance to solve these crimes. It’ll be really hard when Catherine leaves, same as when Grissom left. It’s still hard; I still miss Billy and Henry still misses Grissom. But we have new people and we’re so happy to have them there.

CSI Files: And how is Jon Wellner dealing with Marg Helgenberger leaving the show?

Wellner: I’m so sad. The first day I saw her I gave her a big hug and said, ‘please don’t go!’ And then I felt bad saying that. [Laughs.] I was like, ‘actually it’s okay, I’m sorry.’ Look, she worked her ass off for twelve years, so she deserves to do what she wants and we’ll definitely miss her. I love everybody in this cast and it’s hard to say goodbye to any of them. But the show must go on, right? I can understand it as an actor and I can understand it as her character; it’s just time to go. I mean, how many actors have done twelve years of series television?

CSI Files: Some shows don’t even make it twelve years.

Wellner: Most shows hardly make it six years. The amount of time and energy that she’s put in, she deserves to go out on her own terms and I think it’s going to make for some very compelling shows, too. I’m interested to see how they work that in.

CSI Files: During the summer you went with Elisabeth to Las Vegas and met with coroner Dr T to acquaint her with some of the material the show deals with. Which one of you had the weaker stomach during the visit?

Wellner: [Laughs.] I’d love to say it was me, but I don’t know. She was unbelievable. That was my second time going there so I think the shock of seeing a dead body… that’s something she had to deal with. She jumped right into there, man. Holding a brain and asking questions; she did an amazing job. After a while I was like, ‘eh, I think I’m going to go now and step out.’ There’s a big difference between the set where Dr Robbins [Robert David Hall] works and real life where Dr T works. It’s almost so real that it seems fake, if that makes sense to you. Elisabeth did an amazing job, as did Ted. He went the week after with David Berman [David Phillips]. Both of them, for people who have never seen an autopsy before, jumping in there and holding skullcaps, did pretty amazing.

CSI Files: You’re good friends with David Berman. You’re both researchers on CSI, acting on the show, doing guest appearances on other shows; the list just goes on and on. How do the two of you have time to do anything else?

Wellner: [Laughs.] Well we support each other. Both David and Josh [Berman] changed my life dramatically. I met David in an acting class and he was working on CSI and his brother also was. When I got the research job it was to help David because he was shooting so much he didn’t have as much time. So basically it’s worked out to this great system where if David’s shooting, I’m handling the research and vice versa. If David has to go shoot Drop Dead Diva then I handle the research; if I have to go out and shoot Bones or any other shows then he handles it. When we do our speaking engagements that’s usually on the weekend when there’s no work, or if it is during the week we’re so wireless these days you can bring your laptop or your iPhone. It’s a busy, busy schedule but we love it. I love the opportunities that CSI has afforded me.

CSI Files: You’ve teamed with VisionWalk, which is a really great cause with a goal to fight blindness. How are you doing in regards to your fundraising efforts?

Wellner: Pretty good. I’m really happy to be working with such a great charity. It’s tough obviously the way with the way the economy’s going for people to be charitable, but people have been so great in terms of my fundraising. I hate asking people for help, I really do. But when I do people just come out and support me and that’s been wonderful.

CSI Files: Has there been discussion about possibly reviving the lab rat episodes this season?

Wellner: I haven’t heard anything. I kind of feel like we had our run and without Wendy there’s no lab rats, you know? I would love it, obviously. They’re always fun, but I haven’t heard anything. Hopefully there will still be some great stuff between Hodges and I. You never know what’s going to happen. They’re writing episode eleven now and we’re doing twenty-two I think. Who knows.

I didn’t know before my big episode “Appendicitement” that is was my episode essentially. I didn’t know it was happening until a week before.

CSI Files: That was a fun episode.

Wellner: That was the most fun I have ever had! And I knew it while I was shooting it.

CSI Files: You just finished filming episode six, do you know what other episodes you have coming up?

Wellner: No because they just wrapped six, I’m not in seven, and it looks like I’m in eight. So as of today I’m in episode three, five, and six.

CSI Files: What can you tease about episode eight?

Wellner: I actually can’t because it’s just in outline form now. I was all over episode seven and then it completely changed, so I’d hate to tease anything when it’s in such an early stage. I think in episode six is the most we can talk about because that’s actually been shot. That’s the “Freaks and Geeks” shoot, have you heard anything about that stuff?

CSI Files: I don’t know what Henry’s doing in it!

Wellner: Oh, I just have a quick scene. In episode five there’s this whole adventure and helicopter thing that’s kind of amazing. Six is like our Halloween episode, I guess you could say. It’s with these amazing circus freaks that should be pretty brilliant.

CSI Files: I hear that’s a big DB and Catherine episode, too.

Wellner: Yes. The scene that I have I come in at the end of the two of them sitting in the break room and just talking. DB is kind of talking about when he was a kid and God the whole set was just so quiet. We don’t know anything about his backstory and it’s just so interesting to slowly get to learn a little bit about him. Everybody is just so interested in it I think and it’s not like Langston where it was just so dark. It’s interesting; he kind of had a happy childhood where his parents were together and performers and he traveled around. He’s kind of like a hippie. I think the more we learn about him the more interesting it is.

Follow Jon Wellner on Twitter: @jonwellner

Shane Saunders is a freelance writer and reviewer. His work can be seen on EDGE Network and ShaneSSaunders.com. Twitter: @ShaneSSaunders.

Vassey will appear as Gabrielle Pittmann in the September 7 and 14 installments. “[It] couldn’t be a more fun group,” she tells CSI Files. Adding, “Loved every second. Hope to go back for more fun next season.”

To read about Vassey’s other upcoming projects, read our exclusive interview with her here.

It’s been a little over a year since Liz Vassey, the actress who played the charming and vivacious Wendy Simms, was shockingly let go from CSI: Crime Scene Investigation after five years of playing the role. It was devastating news for the actress and fans alike as just prior to the dismissal, progress was being made between the D.N.A. technician and her co-worker and potential love interest David Hodges (Wallace Langham). For the first time since the unsettling news, Vassey spoke exclusively with CSI Files’ Shane Saunders to discuss the events of the past year.

CSI Files: It’s a little over a year since word got out about your departure from CSI. How are you feeling at this point in time in regards to the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the situation?

Liz Vassey: Well, first of all I would say that the entire experience being there for five years was nothing short of fantastic. I think in a business that’s sort of up-and-down and start-and-stop and different as this type of business is, I think when you get five years on any show you got to be very grateful, so that’s first and foremost… and I am from the bottom of my heart.

I bumped into Wally. Wally and I are still in touch and I saw him recently and we had such a nice time. I see some of the other people from the cast and a lot of the writers and I just love them so. It’s been over a year and I still miss a lot of people on a very personal level just because it’s sort of unreal how kind that set is and how fun it is. Especially considering the subject matter. [laughs] But, it has been a year and I have done some other jobs that I’ve enjoyed and I made peace with it and I think they’ve made peace with it and I don’t bare ill will towards them. I just miss a lot of the people there.

CSI Files: And just to be clear it wasn’t your decision to leave, correct?

Vassey: No, it wasn’t my decision. I’m told that they didn’t know what to do with me creatively. I went in and I requested a meeting to find out what had happened, obviously I was pretty curious. [laughs] And I was just told they didn’t know what to do with me creatively. I have no choice but to believe them. I know it wasn’t the money because I had taken a very substantial pay cut to stay for the season prior to that, and no one approached me to talk about money or anything. I was just informed that they weren’t picking up my option. So they told me it was a creative decision and I’m gonna go with that.

CSI Files: The news leaked in sort of an interesting way in that regard via your Facebook. Did you expect it to circulate outside of your private account so soon?

Vassey: I had heard that [Michael] Ausiello had written something about it which is why I went ahead and wrote something. This is what I had heard–it was hearsay–and I actually didn’t read what he had written until days later. I wrote it just because my friends and my family. I wanted them to know all at once because it’s sort of a strange phone call to have to make. So I just did it so they can read that. I guess so people wouldn’t read it in the news without thinking I was fully aware of what happened in regards to what was going on. [laughs]

I didn’t expect it to move that fast… I never expect anything to move that fast. The news just all of a sudden with Twitter and Facebook, nothing’s a secret for very long. You know, I was surprised, but that was very stupid on my part because everything can travel that fast. I will say I’m overwhelmed by the positive response from the fans and how sweet they were about what had happened. That moved me more than they could possibly realize.

Some other writers had left and that made me a little bit queasy. So I actually called before I went on vacation to Germany with my husband–had my manager call, rather–and find out if I was coming back. And I was told I was. Then I got back three weeks later and woke up the morning we got back in the states and I got a call from my manager going “you’re not.” So, I will say that I believe sometimes you get in a situation and you’re there as long as you’re supposed to be there sort of like this big foot coming to kick you into a different part of your life. [laughs] I try to put a positive spin on things and think maybe it was just time to leave that show and move on to other things. It was handled in an odd manner, but I guess anybody would say that who has ever been let go from any job. I don’t know. It was a very difficult couple of months right after it happened.

CSI Files: There was a little bit of closure with Wendy in “Pool Shark.” What was the genesis behind wrapping up the character in such an abrupt way? Was it ever considered to maybe extend the departure over a few episodes like what occurred with Sara [Jorja Fox] or Grissom [William Petersen]?

Vassey: I was never asked. I had a meeting, I actually did ask that I got–I didn’t even ask if I could come back, I just asked that I got a nice write-off. I said out of respect to my character that I’ve played for five years and out of respect to the fans that liked the character and liked what was developing with Hodges to let me know how you are going to write me out and if you could talk to me about it. I want to make sure it was done in a respectful manner and I want to make sure that it’s not done to–like, I didn’t want to be  written out like I had gotten back together with an ex-boyfriend and Hodges was heartbroken, there has to be something a little more positive, like a [job]. So we talked about it. I got a phone call after that meeting and they said they want me to go back and do one episode. I knew it would be really hard to go do, but at the same point, considering I didn’t know that I wouldn’t be coming back, I had gone to the wrap party at the end of the season before and I never got a chance to say goodbye to people. So I wanted to go back and be able to say goodbye specifically to Wally and to a lot of the directors and writers, who I again, was so close to a lot of the people there.

CSI Files: Wendy always wanted to transfer into the field. Were you happy that she was able to reach that goal?

Vassey: Yeah, I was very happy. I was very happy that that happened. I think that the nice thing about that–and I’m not giving any hint and I don’t know a thing about it–but I think the very next thing is a certain character’s gonna be written off in a way where there’s no possibility of them ever coming back. I think if there were a chance for an episode or two and they wanted me to do it it’s kind of nice because my character got trained, I’m obviously a different person now. I think it would be interesting. And I certainly like the fact that as a character she got to be fulfilled professionally and I think there’s a sort of symmetry to the fact that Hodges kept using the lab over her and then she finally got a job and she had to choose the job over him. Y’know, it worked. I was happy with it.

CSI Files: It was certainly nice for the fans seeing you return for an episode. I think it’s fair to say many were stunned and disappointed that they weren’t bringing you back. When it was announced that you would be in “Pool Shark,” it was like a little sign of hope that maybe things would change. They obviously didn’t do so…

Vassey: Nope! They didn’t. [laughs] I don’t know… I feel like Wally and I have really great chemistry. I enjoyed every minute of screen time I had with him. I enjoyed every time I got to work with those writers. I enjoyed everybody, I was obviously very close with the lab rats. I’m not gonna lie: it would be really nice to go work with them in that capacity sometime again. It would be fun to see them again.

Having said that, it has been a year. It’s been nice. I’ve been writing a lot of things. I got to go be on Two and a Half Men for a while, I got to be on Castle, [and] I just got back last month from shooting a movie for a month. So I have moved onto other things and I’m keeping busy with them. I don’t look back, I’m not angry about it.

Yeah, like, I love that Louise [Lombard, Sofia Curtis] got to go back and shoot an episode, I think that’s great. I know she had a great time and everybody there loves her, so it was really cool. So, maybe. It’s like I said, it’s open.

[But let me just say] I was far more angry about other people being let go than myself. [laughs]

CSI Files: The news prompted a petition titled “WE WANT LIZ VASSEY IN THE 11 CSI SEASON!” on Facebook. Did the amount of support on that page ever have any impact as to the producers possibly changing their minds?

Vassey: I don’t know, because I haven’t talked to the people that are left on CSI about it, to be honest. I will say that I was in New York with my husband and my niece Kenzie, I was taking her there for her sixteenth birthday, and she saw it.  She showed it to me and we got there reading what people had written and again, I can’t say enough how grateful I am for that support. I make a practice at not looking at what people write about me online because I think it’s a very slippery slope personally. I think it can effect your work and sometimes people write things you shouldn’t read. I try to keep away, but I read that. It was nice that in the grand scheme of things I wasn’t one of the CSIs and I wasn’t carrying the show but for people to care about my character it just meant the world to me. I don’t know if any of the producers read it or it had any effect, but it did on me. It meant so much.

CSI Files: Just prior to all this, you were working pretty heavily both in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes. Not only were you promoted to series regular, but you also worked on a story for “Field Mice” with Wallace Langham. Do you think if your status remained as recurring the outcome of the situation would be different?

Vassey: Maybe. I don’t know, I just don’t know. I’ve thought about it so much from all different angles. I can say this: nobody ever asked about demoting me. When I first came on [in "Secrets and Flies"] I did ten episodes the first year, I think. I could be wrong though, it could be eight. It was somewhere in that ballpark. [laughs] But nobody ever talked to me about the possibility of coming back or something. Which, again, because I cared about these people and have had so much fun on that set, I would of done it. But it wasn’t ever discussed. I don’t know, it was very abrupt and very final.

I will say that getting to write an episode was one of my highlights of being on that show, though. It was an exceptionally fine experience getting to do that with Wally. Going on tech scouts and casting, it was fascinating and especially inspired me to write a lot more.

CSI Files: It was your first teleplay and you did a great job! It was really phenomenal.

Vassey: Thank you. Thanks a lot. I had written a couple times before; I sold two pilots that weren’t made, but it was really great to be able to sell them. Wally had done the same, so we talked about it–we hadn’t even talked about it to the producers. They approached us after doing a commentary for the DVD and they asked! They were like, “you can totally think about it if you want.” It was Naren [Shankar]. He came up and said, “do you want to write? Carol [Mendelsohn, executive producer] is on board if you are.” And we were like “nooo, we want to do it!” It was great, it was an honor to be asked.

CSI Files: If I remember correctly Naren was a big supporter of the lab rats episodes.

Vassey: Yeah, I don’t know if there’s enough words in my vocabulary to describe how much I like that man. He’s great, his wife Cheri is great, my husband and I are very close with them. He did so much for my character. For the lab techs in general, like, I don’t understand how Jon Wellner [Henry Andrew] is not a star of a comedy, I think he’s brilliant. I think every one of those rats down the line in that first show, most of us never really worked together before. I never really had a scene with Archie [Kao, Archie Johnson] before, if I did it was like one line. Sheeri Rappaport [Mandy Webster], we hadn’t worked together really. It all just clicked. I admire Naren for trusting us with that and letting us carry the show. It was so fun and we all took it so seriously. [laughs] It was great. I think the world of every one of those lab rats. They’re all incredibly talented. Even Wally. [laughs]

CSI Files: You’ve worked on a couple projects since. CBS’ Two and a Half Men, the new TV series 9ine; which I hear has been picked up for a second season, and an episode of ABC’s Castle. Was it an easy adjustment to play someone other than the charming Wendy after all five years of playing her?

Vassey: Well, the Two and a Half Men was really interesting. I had done one in the first season as a different character and I came back on to do two this past season, and I showed up and it was funny, my husband goes “Do you think they’ll remember you?” And I walk in and Charlie Sheen had watched CSI a lot. [laughs] A lot of that cast had but it was an interesting welcome, it was really fun. It was really nice to go in and come from a show that was so well regarded and highly regarded and have them welcome me like that.

I just finished a movie in Massachusetts, it’s called Broken Silence. It’s an incredibly emotional movie. I’d say that was the biggest departure because one of things about playing on CSI for five years is that you don’t display emotion a lot of the time. You’re kind of stoic and meticulous and you don’t really wear your emotions on your sleeve in that type of capacity. So going and doing this movie for a month where it was all so emotional was really different and interesting.

Playing a bad guy in Castle was also fun being on the other side of the interrogation table.

CSI Files: Was Broken Silence the film you were just working on where there was the tornado warnings?

Vassey: Oh, yeah! [laughs] I was tweeting about them because we were all scared to death. All of us were either from Boston or from L.A. So we all of a sudden had tornado watches and tornado warnings, we’re all down in the basement with a lovely group of people–great crew–certainly didn’t want to have to go through a tornado with them, but eighty of us were down in this basement. [laughs] It was actually kind of comical. Somebody was like, “get under the stairs!” and somebody else goes, “no, get in the bathtub!” I was like, “have none of you ever been through one of these before?” And everybody was like, “no!” [laughs] It was really the blind leading the blind. I texted my husband saying hey, I’m downstairs ’cause there’s a tornado coming and he thought I was kidding because they hadn’t had a tornado in Massachusetts since 1953. Very strange.

CSI Files: You mentioned earlier about working on a pilot. Is this something you’re just writing or aspiring to star in as well?

Vassey: Hopefully both. I had this idea a little bit ago and it was something that was kind of percolating for a while and I just sat down and wrote it five or six months ago. Then I got a producer attached, so I learned the joy of rewriting a lot. He’s been great, he’s been very helpful. During pilot season somebody read the pilot that I had written and she asked me to come in for a staff writing job on her show should it be picked up. I kind of stumbled into this area a little bit more. I definitely wrote it with me in mind as this character so I hope it works out. We just did our first table read and it was so much fun. It’s been great and very educational.

My husband laughed at me because I don’t sit still very well, but I can sit and write for eight or nine hours straight. He just thinks it’s the funniest damn thing.

CSI Files: One of your first major roles was starring as Emily Ann Sargo Martin in All My Children, a role which also earned you an Emmy nomination. A plethora of soap opera alumni have been invited back to reprise roles since of many daytime suds are being cancelled. Any idea if you’ll be going back for a cameo?

Vassey: No, I would go back–I would do anything on that show. They gave me my start, I was sixteen; I moved up from Tampa, Florida, I was in Hell’s Kitchen with my mom in New York from the age of sixteen to nineteen while I was on it. It was a magical part of my life. Sixteen was a while ago, so to be perfectly blunt I don’t even know producers there anymore, I don’t know a lot of the cast–of course Susan [Lucci] is still there, Michael Knight is still there. But I haven’t worked on that show in such a long time that I don’t even know if I would pull up on their radar, you know what I mean? It’s been so long.

CSI Files: You still keep in touch with Wallace and Jon, do you keep in contact with anyone else from CSI?

Vassey: Well, I just texted Marg [Helgenberger, Catherine Willows] the other day. We had a little texting conversation because she’s getting her Hollywood star, which I think is the coolest thing. Marg is everything any of her fans would want her to be. She’s so talented. We sang together for a charity event and it was just great to get to know her in that kind of context. She’s got a hell of a voice, that woman. I was in Spain on vacation with my husband and she happened to be there in the same tiny, little town on the same night. So we had dinner with her, drank red wine until way, way, way late in the evening. We had a great time. Great lady. So I still keep in touch with her. David Berman [David Phillips] is probably one of my dearest friends. He lives five minutes away from me, he’s shooting a documentary right now actually.  So he’s out of the country, it’s weird, I’m going through withdrawals because I usually see him once a week. We’re incredibly close. Still stay in touch with writers Allen MacDonald, David Rambo, Sarah Goldfinger, Naren Shankar, we’re all in constant contact, too.

CSI Files: So, should the opportunity present itself, you would be willing to go back to the Las Vegas Crime Lab, correct?

Vassey: Yeah! Honestly, I know they’re bringing on some new people, that’s been sort of publicized. [laughs] I think with everything that’s going on I don’t foresee that happening. I’m not exactly waiting for a phone call, I don’t really think that that’s going to be in the plan.  Specifically, if I got to go back and work more with Wally, I think it would be fun to go back and talk about my time in Portland as a CSI. I think it would be great to go back for a couple episodes.

CSI Files: The fans who continue to send you their support and remain hopeful for your return, what do you have to say to them?

Vassey: Oh, God. Just… thank you. This is such an odd business. My family thinks I’m half crazy for being in it in the first place. It’s a business where you hear far more “nos” than “yeses.” But ultimately, you’re doing it for the fans. You’re hoping the fans like you; they’re the ones that keep you employed and let you have your job. Being appreciated like that and having support like that is more than I can ask for. I’ve appreciated every little nice note or post that anybody has sent me. Huge thanks, love, and a lot of appreciation.

Shane Saunders is a freelance writer and reviewer. His work can be seen on EDGE Network and ShaneSSaunders.com.

Castle & Beckett work the case of a man found dead inside a pizza oven, but it turns out not to be someone associated with the restaurant—it was a reporter. Was his story, “The Pizza Wars,” enough to get him killed, or was it something much deeper than that?

Source: The Futon Critic. Thanks to Shane from TalkCSI for the heads up.

Source: Futon Critic