The CSI Character You Probably Forgot Dakota Fanning Played

"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" became a television powerhouse thanks largely to the regular talent involved. The likes of Marg Helgenberger, Ted Danson, and Laurence Fishburne, to name a few, all brought their A-game and ensured that the series kept viewers engaged and entertained from week to week. At the same time, the show's numerous guest and one-off stars also deserve credit for their work in so many memorable "CSI" episodes. Among these names is Dakota Fanning, who added her name to the "CSI" cast list incredibly early in her acting career.

Back in 2000, Fanning — who only had a small handful of credits to her name at that point — appeared on the "CSI" Season 1 episode titled "Blood Drops." She plays Brenda Collins, who is revealed to be dealing with unexplained trauma as the Las Vegas Police Department's investigative team gets to the bottom of her family's murder. As their search for answers continues and more information about the Collins family comes to light, the team comes to understand why Brenda is in such a rough state throughout the investigation.

For a child actor, Fanning turns in a good performance in "Blood Drops." As it turns out, she's not the only member of the Fanning family who can boast of producing solid work under the "CSI" franchise banner.

"Blood Drops" turned out to be Dakota Fanning's one and only appearance in the "CSI" franchise, though she did pave the way for another Fanning to leave their mark on it. Elle Fanning, Dakota's younger sister, has also popped up in the "CSI" universe. Skipping over the original series entirely, Elle first appeared on the spin-off that can't catch a break, "CSI: Miami," specifically the 2003 Season 2 episode "Death Grip," in the role of Molly Walker. Following this episode, Elle jumped to another "CSI" title as an entirely different character.

In 2004, Elle returned to the "CSI" world via "CSI: NY." This time around, she appears in the Season 1 installment "Officer Blue" as the character Jenny Como. Given the fact that she was just a child when she appeared on both "Miami" and "NY," it should come as no surprise that both of Elle's characters don't give her a whole lot to do in front of the camera. Nevertheless, much like her older sister, it's fair to say that she has gone on to much bigger and better things since making very small appearances in the "CSI" universe.

Though neither Dakota nor Elle Fanning is synonymous with "CSI," it's plain to see that the crime drama franchise helped both of them to achieve great success elsewhere in the entertainment world.