Fishburne Isn't Good With Gore

Laurence Fishburne hesitated to take the role of Dr Raymond Langston on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation this season because he can't stand the sight of blood.

When Fishburne was first hired to join CSI, he was given pathology books to look at. "I'm not good with that stuff," the actor told the Daily Record. "They gave me a few books at the outset and I opened one of them, saw some pretty intense photos, and immediately closed the book." He went on to say, "I have had an invitation to ride along with some CSIs in Los Angeles, but I need time to prepare myself mentally and emotionally for what those experiences will be because it's not something most human beings do see."

Fishburne was unsure about taking the job because of the show's gruesome content, but that was only after he found out he was being considered for the role. In the beginning, the actor had no idea that his agent was in talks with the producers of CSI. "I was doing theatre in New York and people kept saying, 'Is it true you are joining CSI?' I thought it was crazy," Fishburne explained. "Finally I called my people and asked if there was any truth to it and they said, 'Oh, yeah, we have been talking to them for a while'."

Fishburne came in to fill the void left by William Petersen (Gil Grissom), but he wasn't trying to take Grissom's place. "Grissom is loved too much by fans of this show to ever be replaced," Fishburne said. "It would be easy for my character to come in as the new boss, but it's much more fun to have him not knowing what he's doing and take the audience through the process of becoming a CSI." Being part of CSI is a "huge opportunity", the actor revealed. "I thought it would be something I would do in my 50s," he shared, "but I couldn't have asked for a better job at this moment in my life."

The original article is from the Daily Record.

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