CSI's Paul Guilfoyle Would Get Lots Of Confused Comments When Admitting He Never Watched The Show
Out of all of the procedural crime dramas, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" is one of the most well-known and influential — after all, it started an entire "CSI" franchise with plenty of spinoff series. Created by Anthony E. Zuiker, "CSI" follows the day-to-day jobs of a group of crime scene investigators at the Las Vegas Police Department. While the "CSI" cast changed a bit throughout the show's 15 seasons, some of the significant characters included Gil Grissom (William Petersen), Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger), Nick Stokes (George Eads), Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) and D.B. Russell (Ted Danson). At the start of Season 1, Dr. Grissom, a socially awkward forensic specialist, leads the team, with Willows acting as his second in command. The team's structural dynamics changed as the show went on and various cast members left.
Another central character was Jim Brass, played by Paul Guilfoyle, who appeared in Seasons 1 through 14 of "CSI" and returned for the finale. Brass's background is as a U.S. Marine, which he followed by joining the force and working his way up to homicide detective. Brass also appeared in the 2021 sequel series, "CSI: Vegas," which is in its second season.
Years before reprising his role as Brass, Guilfoyle gave an interview in which he said something that may shock fans of the show: he has never watched "CSI."
Guilfoyle is not interested in the interpersonal drama of the show's characters
In a May 2012 interview with Digital Spy, Paul Guilfoyle talked about his time on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," as the series was in the midst of its 12th season. During the conversation, Guilfoyle revealed that, despite starring in it, he has never watched "CSI."
When asked if he collaborated with the writers about story ideas, Guilfoyle said that he occasionally would, although he mostly just stuck to doing his part and acting out what was already written for him. Then, he revealed a crucial detail in why he might not be fully equipped to offer ideas for his character. Guilfoyle said, "You know, I don't watch [the show] – this kind of confuses people! They're like, 'What? Don't you watch it?' and I'm like, 'No, I don't wanna know who is sleeping with who!'"
Despite not watching the show himself, Guilfoyle did express his love for the fans and their reactions. The actor said, "[The fans] are all great people. It's great."d
Guilfoyle didn't get bored playing Brass for over a decade
In the same interview with Digital Spy, Paul Guilfoyle discussed what it was like to play Brass for twelve years. Guilfoyle brought up that people often ask him how he can keep playing the same character for so long, wondering if it gets boring. Guilfoyle explained that he finds excitement in the small moments.
Guilfoyle said, "It's about the craft. It's about the moments, the authenticities. It doesn't matter about [playing] Brass because you still have to do everything truthfully. Acting is small. I like to be able to do that, keep simplifying it more and more."
Additionally, Guilfoyle said that he thinks it boils down to the fascinating concept of crime. When asked how the series had maintained its popularity over the years, despite multiple cast changes, the actor explained, "The antagonist is actually the crime. Not the criminal, but the actual pieces of the crime. So that's the drama, and then they put characters in there — some quirky people, difficult, complicated people."