The Real Reason These Actors Left CSI

"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" is a hit TV drama surrounding a group of forensic investigators who work together to solve violent crimes in Las Vegas. The show became a phenomenon, earning several Primetime Emmy and People's Choice awards, as well as branching off into a sprawling tree of spin-offs including "CSI: Miami," "CSI: NY," and "CSI: Cyber."

During its long 15-season stint from 2000 to 2015, the show saw many of its actors come and go. Some were long-time vets who were there from the beginning, and some were so short-lived, that you might not even remember them. Whether they were fan-favorite farewells or barely noticeable blips, each addition or loss to the cast helped to shape and mold the "CSI" team into a unique caravan of crime solvers.

Many of these actors left of their own accord, deciding it was just the right time to move on, but some were not so amicable. Bad blood often brewed off-set between actors, writers, producers, and the network. From creative differences to contract negotiations and character chemistry, the reasons behind these departures might come as an interesting surprise to even the most seasoned "CSI" viewer.

Paul Guilfoyle is the longest-running "CSI" actor to date, playing Captain Jim Brass for the first 14 seasons of the show, and only missing a handful of episodes during his entire series stay. Despite being one of the most consistent and beloved characters in the series, Guilfoyle was written off at the end of Season 14. A "CSI" vet through and through, his departure was bittersweet and emotional for the fans, cast, and crew alike.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, this departure was not a decision made on behalf of Guilfoyle, but that of the producers. They felt Guilfoyle's time on the show had come to its natural conclusion, and it was simply time to close the book on Captain Brass. No hard feelings, no salary disputes — just the end of the line for Guilfoyle, and the start of a new chapter for the series.

Just like that, "CSI" was made to say goodbye to one of the few remaining stars who had been with the show since the beginning. While Season 14 did mark his last stint as a series regular, more closure was found when Guilfoyle returned for the series finale "Immortality," as well as a few brief appearances in the newer "CSI: Las Vegas" series.

George Eads played the "CSI" role of forensic investigator Nick Stokes beginning in the series pilot in 2000. However, he was fired by CBS for missing the first day of shooting for Season 5. This termination took place in murky waters, as Eads claimed he had failed to show up on set due to the fact that he had simply overslept. The network, on the other hand, claimed that Eads did not oversleep, but purposely missed shooting. They viewed his absence as a strategic move regarding a salary dispute with his contract.

Whatever the real reason behind the Season 5 debacle — whether it really was a bad case of a malfunctioning alarm clock, or, per the network's narrative, a salary holdout — things were soon resolved. Eads was rehired a few days later following contract renegotiations.

Eads remained a constant fixture of "CSI" through Season 14, until he once again came toe to toe with the network and was forced to take a leave of absence. This came as a result of a heated on-set clash between Eads and one of the writers regarding the creative direction of his character. Eads then met with showrunner Carol Mendelsohn, who placed him on a temporary suspension after he threatened to quit. Eads missed several episodes early in the season but was back before the finale, and stayed on the series until an amicable split in Season 15.

Jorja Fox joined the cast of "CSI" in 2000 as forensic scientist Sara Sidle. In Season 5, Fox was briefly fired, alongside George Eads, during what the network claims was a salary dispute. Fox, alongside George Eads, had failed to appear on set for the first day of shooting but claims this was simply a big misunderstanding.

The network was quick to point to the fact that Fox had refused to sign a pledge agreeing not to miss work as evidence that this was not a case of confusion, but a calculated move amidst salary disputes. Fox, however, claims she did in fact sign and return the pledge. Things get lost in the mail all the time, so if you ask Fox, it's just a coincidence that she did, in fact, end up missing work.

Despite tensions rising surrounding this incident, the network soon rehired Fox, and she stayed on until part-way through Season 8. At this point, Fox decided it was time to finally close the "CSI" chapter of her life — however, she remained adamant that once again, her departure had nothing to do with her salary. It was a hard decision to leave, but the series was starting to wear on her. The tiresome grind of putting out a weekly drama had taken its toll, and she was ready to get out.

While Gary Dourdan had played the beloved "CSI" role of gambling addict turned audio analyst, Warrick Brown, he only stayed on with the show through Season 8. Rumors had started to swirl mid-season when TV Guide reported that his contract with the series was soon to expire, and it was unlikely the actor and network would come to terms regarding a renewal. These suspicions were further validated by the fact that according to TV Guide's sources, CBS was already working to cast Dourdan's replacement.

While CBS declined to comment on the TV Guide announcement, and the actor made no official statement, all suspicions were confirmed when Dourdan's character was shot and killed later that month in a cliffhanger season finale. This departure was somewhat jarring, as it came about shortly following the mid-season turbulence of Jorja Fox also leaving the show. While she was able to return later in the series, Dourdan's on-screen death was the final nail in his 'CSI' coffin, preventing any later appearances.

While Entertainment Weekly had reported that this split came about as a mutual decision between Dourdan and the network, there was some speculation of contributing factors at play. Some had thought that Dourdan's 2008 drug arrest might've had something to do with his departure from the show. However, Dourdan's arrest had come after the TV Guide announcement, so the dates don't really add up, and it's more likely they were just unable to renegotiate his contract.

Lauren Lee Smith joined the cast of "CSI" in Season 9 to replace actor Gary Dourdan after his character, Warrick Brown, was killed off in the Season 8 finale. The network wasted no time in filling in the gap, and Smith went fast to work as the crime lab's newest addition, Riley Adams. It appeared she was quickly becoming an integral member of the team, and Smith had stated she really enjoyed her time on the show, so her absence from Season 10 was notably strange.

In the show, Smith leaves due to conflicts with the character Catherine Willows, but why was she really written off? As show producer Naren Shankar explained to TV Guide, Smith was a fine actor, she just wasn't the right fit for "CSI." The show was going through a shakeup, and Smith didn't mesh well with the ensemble cast. Sometimes characters are miscast, and it's nobody's fault. To replace Smith, CBS called upon the return of Jorja Fox's character, Sara Sidle. Fox had left during Season 8, but took the reins from Smith and reunited with the series in Season 10.

William Petersen was one of the most integral players the "CSI" team ever knew. In addition to playing the gritty investigator Gil Grissom for the first nine seasons of the series, Peterson had acted as a producer of the show since its 2000 debut, becoming an executive producer in 2004. Despite working tirelessly to build the show into the television phenomenon that it would eventually become, Peterson said goodbye to the series in Season 9, Episode 10. His character left the team to reunite with his wife in Costa Rica, taking a permanent vacation from violence.

It's clear Peterson was a strong supporter of the series, so why did he leave? One of the downfalls of loving what you do is that sometimes, you can love it a bit too much. Following the announcement of his departure from the show, Peterson expressed that it was precisely because he had made such a lovely home for himself at "CSI," that he needed to leave. There is such a thing as getting too cozy with where you're at, and he didn't want to use up all of his artistic juices on this one thing. He needed to get out before the well ran dry and use his remaining creative energy on other projects. Following "CSI," Peterson went on to act in a number of theater productions, making good on his promise to find other passions.

Following the departure of long-running "CSI" star William Peterson in Season 9, the series needed to fill some big shoes to keep audiences watching. Enter Laurence Fishburne. He was an already established, Oscar-nominated film star, so he was the perfect addition to distract audiences from Peterson's absence. Not only was he well known, but he would also make a somewhat surprising addition, as he had mostly worked in film prior to his "CSI" stint. He was in no way tied to the series, so no one would see it coming. In fact, he hadn't even seen the show before he met with the producers.

Despite being a bit out of touch with the TV game, Fishburne adjusted nicely to the change of scenery and fit right in with the team as Dr. Raymond Langston. He took up this role for about two and a half seasons before deciding to return once again to film. However, this was longer than anyone, even the producers, expected him to stay, so his decision to leave in 2011 wasn't exactly shocking. It also was of little detriment to the series, as ratings continued to drop during his stay, unable to recover from the loss of Peterson.

While she was an already established actress prior to the series, for the first 12 seasons of "CSI," Marg Helgenberger played the role of stripper turned supervisor, Catherine Willows. She was there from the get-go, a character known for getting the job done and continuously working her way up the ranks. Helgenberger finally left the show in 2012, after her character climbed yet another rung of the ladder and accepted a job with the FBI.

According to Helgenberger, she made the decision to leave in an effort to pursue other creative projects. She had been with the show for many years, a time span that drained a lot of her energy, while also encompassing many changes in her personal life. Despite being a bit more worn than she had been prior to "CSI," she felt she still had some oomph left in her and wanted to see what else she could take on. This decision proved fruitful, as Helgenberger would go on to star in a number of other projects, including "All Rise" and "Under the Dome."

Kim Delaney is best known for her Emmy award-winning role as Detective Diane Russell on "NYPD Blue." It seems she hadn't had her fill of cases, however, as she continued her crime-solving career when she took up the "CSI: Miami" role of Lieutenant Megan Donner in 2002. Despite having proven success in TV crime dramas, Delaney only stayed on the show for 10 episodes, an oddly short stay for such a prominent television actress.

Producers explained her leave as a result of the unsatisfying chemistry between Delaney and her co-star David Caruso. The vision was to emulate the kind of dramatic dynamic and tension between William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger in the original series, but it just wasn't happening. CBS added that it was becoming more and more obvious that Delaney's character was far from necessary for the show's storylines. Delaney was quickly dismissed from duty and was not replaced going forward. It seems you don't need to fill a gap when no one can remember who was there in the first place.

Khandi Alexander signed on to "CSI: Miami" in 2002 to play the role of medical examiner Alexx Woods. She stuck with the series for its first six seasons but left in 2008 to pursue more challenging roles and get into more serious, or as she called it in the New York Post, "real" acting. This comment might rub the more hardcore "CSI" fans the wrong way, but Alexander did express that she holds no ill will against the series, and her time with "CSI" gave her a lot to be thankful for.

The decision to leave worked out quite well for Alexander, as she went on to work on a number of other notable projects. Her post-"CSI" credits include a role on "Tremé," the follow-up to the critically acclaimed series "The Wire," as well as starring in Dael Orlandersmith's theater production, "Bones." Hopefully, the move from screen to stage was a challenging enough change for the talented actress.

Melina Kanakaredes played the "CSI: NY" role of assistant day shift supervisor Detective Stella Bonasera from 2004 to 2010. However, she left after a six-season stint, expressing gratitude for her experience and appreciation for her time on the series. The network was also sentimental with their statement, noting that they were sad to see her go and would miss her presence on the series.

The case with her departure, according to Deadline, was that Kanakaredes's contract had come up for renewal, and the network had approached her with terms for a new deal, but they were unable to settle. However, Forbes had reported that while her parting statement made no specific reference to money, sources claim this was the primary reason behind the split. Kanakaredes was apparently earning around $200K per episode, a significantly lower amount than other "CSI" stars like Marg Helgenberger or Gary Sinise. Money may not be everything, but it's definitely not nothing!

Adam Rodriguez joined the cast of "CSI: Miami" to play the role of Eric Delko for the series debut in 2002. He remained a regular character in the show until Season 7, when he abandoned his role in the pursuit of other projects, as well as an inability to settle contract negotiations with CBS. He did stay on through the season as a recurring character, but dropped out completely once Season 8 came around.

Rodriguez's absence was notable, so to fill the void, CBS brought on actor Eddie Cibrian as crime lab investigator Jesse Cardoza. However, his stay on the show was extremely brief, as Rodriguez and CBS were soon able to hammer out a new deal. Rodriguez returned to the series in Season 9, rendering Cibrian an unnecessary addition. Cibrian was given the boot after only one season, and Rodriguez picked up right where he left off.