Laurence Fishburne Joins Cast Of CBS Drama 'CSI'

Actor Laurence Fishburne has officially joined the cast of hit CBS detective drama "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

The new TV gig will be his first role as a series regular since playing Cowboy Curtis on the 1980s kids show "Pee-wee's Playhouse." He will play a forensics investigator "with disturbing tendencies," according to Reuters.

One funny tidbit behind him getting the role was that Fishburne actually never saw the show before his first meeting with the show's executive producers. It's something he was a little embarrassed about.

"I felt a little stupid and embarrassed that I hadn't watched the show prior to having a meeting with them," the 47-year-old actor admits. "But I'm happy to say that the episodes that they sent me to look at were really, really engaging and really wonderful, and kind of dark and moody, like a lot of the work that I've actually been involved in. So I'm very excited."

While his character has yet to have a name, the show calls him the Professor for internal use. Fishburne is slated to begin shooting in mid-September.

"It takes a special personality to be willing to start new -- to a place where you're not in charge of everything -- and start over," producer Naren Shankar said of the actor.

The actor is famed for his movie work as Morpheus in "The Matrix" trilogy, and his Oscar-nominated role as Ike Turner in "What's Love Got to Do With It."

Fishburne will make "CSI" debut in episode nine of the show's upcoming ninth season, which is scheduled for December or early 2009.

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