USA Today

CBS sacks 2 stars in 'CSI' salary flap

They’ve gone from looking for clues to looking for jobs: CSI stars George Eads and Jorja Fox played hardball and lost during a salary dispute.

CSI has fired two cast members after they didn’t show up for work in a salary dispute.

George Eads, who plays Nick Stokes, and Jorja Fox, who plays Sara Sidle, were dismissed by CBS Thursday, the first day of scheduled filming on the show’s fifth season. Both had three years left in their current contracts. But as actors often do, they held out for bigger pay increases.

The network, which refused to comment, is said to already have begun casting replacement actors for similar roles. CBS chief Leslie Moonves appears to be setting a hard-line example by refusing to negotiate with actors still under contract, particularly those in supporting roles. Co-star Marg Helgenberger also is angling for more money, and although she called in sick Thursday, she is expected to return. The other actors, including William Petersen, were not affected.

CSI is TV’s top drama, averaging nearly 27 million viewers. It is a critical asset to the network, which is preparing to launch a second spinoff, CSI: NY, this fall.