The Unexpected Connection Paula Newsome Made Because Of Spider-Man: No Way Home - Exclusive

2021 was a big year for Paula Newsome. Her profile was boosted with the one-two punch of her latest series, "CSI: Vegas," premiering while she was also appearing in the blockbuster Marvel film "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Now, the veteran actor — whose previous credits include "NCIS" and "Chicago Med" — finally seems to be turning heads in Hollywood.

On "CSI: Vegas," Newsome stars as Maxine Roby, head of the Las Vegas Crime Lab, leading a gifted team of forensic investigators who use state-of-the-art techniques to follow the evidence and capture criminals. A sequel to the long-running "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" that ended in 2015, the Las Vegas installment is currently in its second season, which airs Thursdays on CBS.

Meanwhile, in "Spider-Man: No Way Home," she played the small but pivotal role of the MIT Assistant Vice Chancellor who had a hand in denying Peter Parker admission into the university because of all the negative attention from his secret identity being revealed. While she spent just minutes on screen, she provided a memorable moment for MCU fans when Peter saves her from Doc Ock and she makes him a promise.

During an exclusive interview with Looper, Newsome reflected on what it was like to become part of the MCU and revealed the unexpected connection she made because of her "Spider-Man: No Way Home" role.

While Paula Newsome said joining the MCU via "Spider-Man: No Way Home" was "amazing," she also admitted she was a bit clueless as to how big of a deal it was.

"I hadn't seen [all the films]," she told us. "I saw the Tobey Maguire 'Spider-Man' back in the day, but I wasn't current. When I was offered the job, I had to do some research, and that's when I discovered what an amazing invitation it was. Gosh, everyone's so gifted — such a gifted director [Jon Watts], such gifted actors ... It's like you're walking into a dream. It was really fun."

Now that she's forever part of the MCU — even if only with a small role — Newsome has learned to expect the unexpected when it comes to Marvel fans, who sometimes are even other celebrities.

"You're surprised all the time by the people that you find out are Marvel geeks, like a 60-year-old man," said Newsome. "Here's an amazing story for you — I was in a restaurant, and I bumped into Deborah Roberts, who's a news correspondent, and she's married to this man who comes up to me, and it was Al Roker. He was like, 'Hey, how about that Marvel universe?' I'm like, 'Al Roker?!' That was exciting. There are people that you never imagine meeting and talking about the fact that you're in the Marvel universe."

You can currently watch Newsome on Season 2 of "CSI: Vegas," which airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.