Telestar (November 2007)

Bye-bye CSI

Sara Sidle is leaving the TF1 hit series

JORJA FOX

“On the 15th of October last year, Jorja Fox shot her last episode of “CSI”. It then is an exit for Sara Sidle! For the moment at least.”

“It could be the biggest mistake of my life. Only time will tell.” It is with these words that Jorja Fox commented on her last appearance in the show “CSI” that millions of Americans will watch this coming November. But why has she chosen to leave the program that has made her famous? Jorja explains it to the press. It was not a matter of money, nor of significant disagreement with the production, like in 2004 when she was “fired”, and then re-hired soon after.

“There are so many things that I want to do before I get too old!” More than anything else, Jorja confesses she wanted to escape from the underlying violence of the show: “All the scripts have a bad ending. This is what makes each shooting difficult.” But it has not been an easy decision to make. “We started to talk about it with the CBS last January. Everything was finalised in June.”

“A return as guest-star?”

So, in April, when Jorja shoots the last episode of season 7, the script leaves her between life and death after a car accident. “I, also, didn’t know what was going to happen to me before receiving the following script.” It is eventually seven episodes later that Jorja leaves the show, at the same moment when, ironically, the love story between Grissom (William Petersen) and her character takes a happy turn. But won’t spoil you any more. Should we conclude that Sarah will never return? “Let’s say that the way the story is written allows me to come back as a guest-star!” A piece of information passed on by the executive producer of the show, Carol Medelsohn, who appears concerned not to disappoint the fans of the character: “Grissom is not done with Sara.” In the meantime, Jorja, herself, has personal projects: “It could be traveling around the world, going to surf to the Southern hemisphere and having children!”