Jorja Fox Interview on Returning to 'CSI'

It's been two years since Jorja Fox left the grimy Las Vegas crime scenes of 'CSI' for sun, surf and soul searching. But now she's set to return as Sara Sidle for a much anticipated five-episode arc on the series' 10th season (premiering Sept. 24 on CBS). There's wild speculation around the circumstances of her visit -- Is another CSI in danger? Are Sara and Grissom still together? -- and AOL TV grilled her mercilessly for the juicy details.

In our exclusive interview, Fox, phoning from a hammock on the shores of Santa Monica, was thrilled to dish -- about, among other things, if she'll ever return to 'CSI' full time, her reaction to some of George Eads' less flattering comments and her outrageous guest spot on 'Drop Dead Diva' as a (gasp!) housewife. -- By Sandy Deane

Why exactly does Sara come back to Vegas?
Well, we're hoping to reveal a lot of that in the premiere, so I really can't talk too much about it. I think that within the context of the story that 'CSI' had a rough year last year. They lost a close friend and a co-worker [in Warrick], and then the character of Grissom decides to go off into the blue yonder. They had two new members of their team, and it was just sort of a hard year for those characters. I think it's true that Grissom and Sara have kept in touch with those guys, and Sara comes back to see if she can help out.

Can you tell us if Sara and Grissom are still together?
I cannot. That's going to have to be a surprise.



In a poll we ran, 14 percent of the people said that they think something happened to Grissom and that Sara needs the CSI's help.
You know what I love? I love that folks care enough to talk about why Sara's actually returning. Even all along with the Sara-Grissom storyline, there's been a lot of people that really hate it. They hate the storyline, they wish it would go away. But, for me, I like to think it's a compliment that people still care enough to hate it.

Did you seek to return to the show or did the show contact you?
When I left the show two years ago ... the last thing I said to Carol Mendelsohn, the showrunner of 'CSI,' was "I'd love to visit!" [laughs]. Last year I was there for four shows -- under very sad circumstances for the most part. Gary Dourdan had decided that he was leaving the show ... We all miss him very much and we'll continue to do so. And then I knew, sort of in the back of my head that William Petersen was on his way out and that there was a good chance I would be involved in his exit. So this time around it came as a complete and utter surprise; I had no idea that they'd be calling, and I was thrilled. I'm having a blast.

Is it just five episodes or is there any chance you're going to hang on for much longer?
What we had set up when I came back was that I would visit for five shows, so that's kind of what we're doing right now. I think everybody's sort of taking things day by day ... I would have to say the premiere episode is truly thrilling and anybody who is a fan will not be disappointed by the season premiere. It blew me away, I read the first page and I was like "Oh, my gosh, they've done it again."

So you're not closing the door on a permanent return to 'CSI'?
No. I would absolutely never close the door on that, but I do think that now it's set up as a visit.

Have you watched 'CSI' since you left?
Yeah, and I caught up a bunch. It's sort of more intermittently than I had in the past. I really thought this season was amazing last year. I loved Laurence Fishburne; I loved Lauren Lee Smith. Everybody sort of had a pretty big hurdle to try and overcome last year, and I thought they did a spectacular job with it.



We interviewed George Eads just a few months ago and ... [he said] "it's nice to be here at the end of the day without any divas or attitude." So just curious: What's your relationship with George? And why would he go around calling you a diva?
Well, is there any accident that I'm doing 'Drop Dead Diva'? Right? [Laughs] I'm looking at their cast, and it's a lot of, you know -- diva, first of all, is a compliment, I think, in certain circles ... So there's a compliment in there. I think George didn't quite mean what he said ... Looking back on it, I think he's mentioned it to me more than once that it wasn't sort of what he meant to say, which happens to George a lot.

Wait, did you guys talk about this?
Well, the only thing I would say to you about it in regards to George is that it absolutely takes one to know one [laughs]. And he's my brother, and I would walk across fire for him any day. But it takes one to know one.

Did you ever have doubts that the show could sustain its quality after 10 years?
Oh, yeah. Many times. After almost every season I would think [that] -- because it really does get harder. I think the bulk of that stress and pressure falls on the writers' room. But as I mentioned, that when I read the first page of the first episode of season 10, I was like "OK, they're on it! Game on!" They blew me away. And I had had that thought when I was looking at coming back. I was like, "Wow, has this ship sailed?" You know, just it's sort of inevitable, not because of anybody's lack of talent ... I just heard on NPR that 'Law & Order' is starting its 20th season, and that's amazing! And that show is as fresh as it's ever been ... The fans tune in loyally to something that they know they already love; they're not necessarily looking for something too crazily different. But that's certainly a marker for the 'CSI' guys to chase.

What's next for you?
I was excited to go back to work. I had taken really almost a year off, and I thought about maybe even changing careers ... And having the time off and traveling, I realized I love what I do ... I'd love to do some theater; I'd love to do some film; I will continue to do TV if they will have me. I'm really excited about 'Drop Dead Diva' on Sun., Aug. 16. That was a 180-degree departure for me, and kind of scary.



What made you sign on?
I love Lifetime; I'm a fan. Josh Berman is the exec producer of the show, and he and I had worked together for five years on 'CSI' ... When I got the script, I was like, "How are they going to pull this off? This story is just so not based in reality." But then Josh also sent me the pilot episode, and the minute I saw it I was like, "Oh, my Gosh! They pulled this off!" And Brooke [Elliott] is incredible.

What were the other things you were thinking about doing if you were to leave acting?
That's almost embarrassing. I've had a very naive passion for politics my whole life, and I thought maybe -- you know, on a small, local level, or a state level, a city level -- that that might be something that I'd want to do. I could get into a gazillion different areas of environmentalism and really pursue that as an occupation because that's something that I'm really passionate about.