10 Stars Who Recurred on the Original ‘CSI’

Tracie Ellis Ross, Aisha Tyler, Matthew Davis
CBS

The CBS sequel series CSI: Vegas is finally here, marking a return to television for a cadre of the original CSI: Crime Scene Investigation actors. But the CSI: Vegas producers could have brought back any number of big names from the original series, plenty of whom were never series regulars.

Over CSI’s 15-season run, the Sin City-set procedural marked early screen appearances for many current TV stars, including some who went on to be No. 1 on call sheets. Here are some of the familiar faces who joined (or were busted by) the CSI team.

CSI: Vegas, Series Premiere, Wednesday, Oct. 6, 10/9c, ABC

CSI, Eric Stonestreet
CBS

Eric Stonestreet

Between Season 1 and Season 5, this Modern Family breakout recurred as Ronnie Litre, a technician specializing in questioned documents.

Aldis Hodge as Tony Thorpe on CSI
CBS

Aldis Hodge

The Leverage and City on a Hill actor played suspect Tony Thorpe in two episodes spaced seven years apart.

CSI - Jason Segel
CBS

Jason Segel

In three episodes of Season 5, the How I Met Your Mother star played Neil Jansen, a fingerprint tech with a soft spot for Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox).

CSI, Aisha Tyler
CBS

Aisha Tyler

When Greg Sanders (Eric Szmanda) went out in the field in Season 5, Tyler—star of Criminal Minds and Archer and host of Whose Line Is It Anyway?—played his successor in the DNA lab, Mia Dickerson, across 13 episodes.

Liev Schreiber in CSI
CBS

Liev Schreiber

Long before his titular role in Ray Donovan, Schreiber recurred in Season 7 of CSI, playing Michael Keppler, a temporary (and ill-fated) replacement for Gil Grissom (William Petersen).

Jessica Lucas as Ronnie Lake on CSI
CBS

Jessica Lucas

This star of The Resident and Gotham had a Season 8 arc as Ronnie Lake, Sidle’s partner on the swing shift.

Tracee Ellis Ross as Gloria Parkes in CSI
CBS

Tracee Ellis Ross

Across Seasons 11 and 12, this Black-ish and Girlfriends star played Gloria Parkes, ex-wife of Raymond Langston (future Black-ish costar Laurence Fishburne).

Katee Sackhoff as LVPD Detective Frankie Reed on CSI
CBS

Katee Sackhoff

During the show’s 11th season, this Battlestar Galactica and Longmire alum—currently starring on Another Life—played LVPD Detective Frankie Reed.

CSI, Titus Welliver
CBS

Titus Welliver

Across a trio of Season 12 episodes, this Bosch star played businessman Mark Gabriel, organizer of the Hit Squad.

CSI, Matthew Davis
CBS

Matthew Davis

Better known for his role as Alaric in The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Legacies, Davis played day-shift investigator Sean Yeager in three episodes of Season 14.