Photo Copyright - Bud Davis

It’s quite the resumé for a man who never intended to be an actor. He thought he might try politics or college football—until he spent a year at Idaho State University 37 years ago.

He lived in a small apartment across the street from a muffler warehouse. His favorite watering hole was the Syndicate Lounge, and he remembers streaking across the Quad with his buddies, tailed by campus police.

You can read the full article by Chris Gabettas on the ISU Website.  (Many thanks to Sarah for passing the link along).

A tale of two great actors, the human factor, and a humdinger twist.

Case in point: An incident at Trattoria Gianni in Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre district Wednesday night involving actors William “CSI” Petersen and John Malkovich.

• The scene: A young woman in a red hat quietly walks into the Trattoria bar for a nightcap and spots a table occupied by Petersen, who’s appearing in Steppenwolf’s “Endgame,” and Malkovich, a Petersen pal who is a leading member of the august Steppenwolf ensemble.

• The script: The petite blond walks over to the table and tells the men, “I am a huge fan,” thanks them for chatting with her, says good night, leaves the restaurant, crosses the street, where a cab hailed by her husband is waiting, and gets hit by a car.

• The upshot: Petersen, dressed in capri pants and sandals, runs to her side, gets down on his knees, puts her little red hat under her head to comfort her and whispers to her until paramedics arrive. Malkovich, who has been watching streetside with the rest of the cast, gets in the ambulance to comfort her. “He felt this could have been his daughter, who is about the young woman’s age,” said a Sneed source.

• The backshot: The woman, Courtney Boho Marincsin, suffered a leg injury and was rushed to Illinois Masonic Hospital. “The driver of the car stopped and got out to help, but it was Petersen who dashed headlong into the street to really help and calm her,” the source said. “One of her red heels was smashed on the street.”

• More backshot: “She was darling and very respectful and really sweet,” said Trattoria owner Gianni Delisi. “She wasn’t a total stranger to us. But we didn’t know her name. It was so sad because she had been so excited to meet [Petersen and Malkovich], who are great guys. And then she heads outside and quickly gets hit by a car.”

• The kicker: Marincsin is a personal injury attorney who works for the prestigious Clifford Law Firm, run by legal eagle Robert A. Clifford.

]]> http://billypetersen.com/site/2010/04/william-petersen-helps-lady-hit-by-a-car/feed/ 4 http://billypetersen.com/site/2010/02/to-live-die-in-la-on-blu-ray/ http://billypetersen.com/site/2010/02/to-live-die-in-la-on-blu-ray/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:31:38 +0000 thewpap http://billypetersen.com/site/?p=2236 After a rather long delay ‘To Live & Die in LA’ has finally been released on Blu Ray this week and is available to purchase from Amazon.com by clicking on the link below.

In other news, Billy was quoted in a recent Chicago Tribune article regarding the new Richard Christiansen Theater at Victory Gardens.

“Richard was the one guy who most influenced my career,” said Petersen, who cut his teeth on the Chicago stage and who described making booze-aided, nocturnal trips down to Tribune Tower and begging for someone on the loading dock to throw him a copy of the paper with the Christiansen review.

“It wasn’t just that he made other people believe I was a better actor,” Petersen said. “He made me believe I was a better actor.”

You can read the full article online at the Chicago Tribune website.

Many of you who have been following Billy’s theater career will be very familiar with Mr Christiansen, especially his thoughts of Billy’s performance in ‘In the Belly of the Beast’ (check out his review).

Other noteworthy ‘players’ on this year’s list are Amy Morton (#19), Stephen Louis Grush (#26) and Dennis Zacek (#28).  Check out the full list at the New City Stage website.

5. William Petersen  - Actor

While Chicago stages are blessed with many actors boasting varying degrees of Hollywood success, only one works the kind of box-office magic that’s driving Broadway’s biggest shows these days. Billy Petersen famously left the lead role of top-rated television drama “CSI,” which he still produces, to return to Chicago theater in 2008. Though he joined the Steppenwolf ensemble (where he’ll appear in “Endgame” this season), it was his role in the two-hander “Blackbird” at Victory Gardens last summer that really showed his market power, when the critically acclaimed production sold out every show that the theater could cram into its schedule, and became its biggest hit ever. Petersen’s not just a pretty face, though—his performances on Chicago stages, dating back to the late seventies, are legendary.

Now for some long overdue updates.

Neil Midgley of the Daily Telegraph (UK newspaper) had the opportunity to interview Billy during his visit to London towards the end of last year.

William Petersen on life after CSI - The actor, who played Gil Grissom in CSI, tells Neil Midgley why he loves his new life on stage.

Click this link to read the full interview.

From the live blog feed of the CBS Press Tour (c/o The Hollywood Reporter) Nina Tassler (Entertainment President) states the following:

On “CSI” and Lawrence Fishburne’s character: “I think they’re doing much better in finding Fishburne’s character. ‘CSI’ is in its 10th season it’s still No. 7. You can’t deny Fishburne is a powerful actor and a force to be reckoned with.” That said, Tassler said afterward that CBS would welcome back William Petersen with “open arms,” though right now “there are no plans” to have him on the show.

The ‘Theater World’ is gearing up for Steppenwolf’s production of Endgame, with both Playbill and Theatermania sharing brief articles on the synopsis and set information.   As a reminder, for those of you who do not have subscriptions, tickets go on sale later this month on January 29th.

We have received a nice letter back from Victory Gardens regarding the recent fundraiser we organized.   A copy of which can be found in The Gallery.  Again, well done everyone!  We will be sending off all the relevant fundraiser information off to Billy very soon.

We are currently working on the rest of the ‘Grissom’s Greatest’ clips, which we hope will be available on the site on Sunday, as well as some deleted scenes from the Season 1 Blu-Ray Box Set of CSI c/o our good friends over at Margamania.

Interview from Le Parisien (Dec 17, 2009)

A “CSI” in Paris

The polar freeze makes no difference: WP is wearing a short-sleeved shirt in the bar of the Hotel Montalembert (Paris 7th arrondissement) and he’s drinking a Perrier. It’s because he’s used to the harsh winters in Chicago, where he lives. And above all, the fifty-six year old actor is enjoying his vacation in Paris, hardly disturbed by a bunch of interviews and TV appearances, he was on Sacrée Soirée last night.

Since he left CSI in the middle of the ninth season (not yet broadcast here) he’s been having a great time, he told us yesterday, but he still misses Grissom.

A week in Paris, is that a luxury when you’re coming out of nine years of CSI?

WP. It’s something I could never do when I was acting in the show. I’ve been married for six years, but it’s the first time that I’ve been able to enjoy Paris with my wife. The art galleries, the antique shops, the Orsay, Montmartre … It’s a real pleasure. I’m rediscovering the world! When you’re shooting a series like CSI, you’re enclosed in a bubble, eleven months a year, fourteen hours a day.

Did you leave the series to have more free time?

It was first to go back to the theatre, where I began my career. To have direct contact with the audience again and to tell a story each evening from the beginning to the end. I’ve been in two plays this year in Chicago. And also, I had the impression that I’d reached the end of what I could do with the character of Grissom. I wanted to stop before I got tired of it, and before the viewers did. It wasn’t an easy decision, it was very comfortable doing the show.

Since you left and Laurence Fishburne replaced you, the audiences have fallen in the US. Is CBS begging you to come back?

But audiences are lower all over the world. There’s an economic crisis, TV on the internet, on phones … In fact, as a CSI producer, I think we’re doing pretty well. Laurence has done a very good job. And after ten years on TV, we’re still in the top 10.

It was said that you could come back for a few episodes, is that still the case?

I don’t think it would be a good idea. The public wouldn’t understand Grissom coming back and then leaving soon after. However, we’ve still got the idea of making a movie, and I would act in that. I don’t know when this will happen, if it’s too soon or not, but we already have a story idea.

Apart from theatre and travel, what do you want to do now?

I’d love to do some films in Europe, to have other points of view. But first, I need to shake off Grissom. It’s like the breakup of a relationship, there’s a period of mourning to respect before going on to other things. For nine years I spent more time as Grissom than myself. I’m trying to be Zen about it, but I think it will take years before the public forgets [Grissom].

Below is a brief translation (thanks J) of the Toutelatele.com article we posted about earlier today.  Les Experts : William Petersen veut Jean Reno dans son film as well as an article from the Le Parisien Newspaper in France interviewing Billy, a translation of which will follow.

Toutelatele Translation

CSI: William Petersen wants Jean Reno in his film

He’s never hidden it: William Petersen dreams of doing a CSI movie, ideally in Paris. On the stage of Sacrée Soirée, questioned by Jean-Pierre Foucault, he confirmed it. “It’s being thought about and I’m trying to advance the idea,” he said.

Even better, WP has taken advantage of his time in France to start casting! “I met the great Jean Reno backstage, I told him that I needed a French investigator for this film. He’s interested, so I told him to call my agent!”

It was a quick visit of a few minutes during which J-P Foucault didn’t hesitate to mention the reduced viewing numbers following WP’s departure from the series (a reminder, WP is still an executive producer), but he also presented WP with an award, for CSI having more than 4 million DVD sales in France.

Le Parisien Article (Translation to Follow) (Thanks Veji)

Le froid polaire n’y change rien : William Petersen est en chemisette au bar de l’Hôtel Montalembert (Paris VII ^e ) et boit un Perrier. C’est que la star des « Experts » (version Las Vegas), alias Gil Grissom dans la série policière de TF 1, est rompue aux hivers rudes de Chicago, où il vit. Et surtout, l’acteur de 56 ans savoure ses vacances à Paris, à peine perturbées par une poignée d’interviews et de télés il était dans « Sacrée Soirée » hier soir.

Depuis qu’il a quitté « les Experts » en pleine neuvième saison (pas encore diffusée chez nous), c’est la belle vie, nous a-t-il confié hier, tout en avouant que Grissom lui manque toujours.

Une semaine à Paris, c’est un luxe quand on sort de neuf ans d’« Experts » ?

William Petersen. C’est quelque chose que je n’aurais jamais pu faire quand je jouais dans la série. Je suis marié depuis six ans, mais c’est la première fois que je peux profiter de Paris avec ma femme. Les galeries d’art, les antiquaires, Orsay, Montmartre… C’est un vrai plaisir. Je redécouvre le monde ! Quand on tourne une série comme celle-là, on est enfermé dans une bulle, onze mois par an, quatorze heures par jour.

C’est pour avoir plus de temps libre que vous avez quitté la série ?

C’est d’abord pour refaire du théâtre, où j’ai débuté. Retrouver le contact direct avec le public et pouvoir raconter chaque soir une histoire du début à la fin. J’ai joué dans deux pièces cette année à Chicago. Et puis, j’avais l’impression d’être arrivé au bout de ce que je pouvais faire avec le personnage de Grissom. Je voulais m’arrêter avant de me lasser, et avant que le public ne se lasse. Ce n’était pas une décision facile, c’était très confortable de faire cette série.

Depuis que vous êtes parti et que Lawrence Fishburne vous a remplacé, les audiences chutent aux Etats-Unis. CBS vous supplie de revenir ?

Mais les audiences baissent pour tout le monde. Il y a la crise économique, la télé sur Internet, sur les téléphones… En fait, en tant que producteur des « Experts », je trouve qu’on s’en tire plutôt bien. Lawrence fait du très bon boulot. Et après dix ans à l’antenne, on est encore dans le top 10 des meilleures audiences.

Il était question que vous reveniez pour quelques épisodes, c’est toujours prévu ?

Je ne crois pas que ce soit une bonne idée. Le public ne comprendrait pas que Grissom revienne et reparte aussitôt. En revanche, on a toujours le projet de faire un film et, là, je jouerai dedans. Je ne sais pas quand ça se fera, si c’est trop tôt ou pas, mais on a déjà une idée d’histoire.

En dehors du théâtre et des voyages, vous avez envie de faire quoi maintenant ?

J’aimerais tourner des films en Europe, pour avoir d’autres points de vue. Mais d’abord, je dois me déposséder de Grissom. C’est comme une rupture amoureuse, il y a une période de deuil à respecter avant de passer à autre chose. Pendant neuf ans, j’ai passé plus de temps en Grissom que dans ma propre peau ! J’essaie d’être zen par rapport à ça, mais je pense qu’il faudra des années pour que le public l’oublie.

We have uploaded to The Gallery the Donation Certificate that has been sent to Victory Gardens Theater in respect of our Fundraiser.  We have also scanned a copy of the check to confirm the funds that have been sent to VGT was indeed, $1,500.

An article with a brief review of Billy’s appearance on Sacree Soiree is available at toutelatele.com – Les Experts : William Petersen veut Jean Reno dans son film (translation to follow).  Clips of the appearance will be available later today.

We believe there are 3-4 promos on Channel 5 advertising the upcoming “Grissom’s Greatest” Special that starts this Saturday at 7.40pm on Channel 5 (UK).  We managed to catch two of them, which are available to download via our Entertainment/Multimedia Section.

You will notice a few Google ads floating around on the site at the moment, something we are trying, if any of the ads catches your eye please feel free to click on those links, it doesn’t cost you anything and it helps maintain billypetersen.com, thank you!

William Petersen – An American in Paris

The famous CSI is the guest of honor of the next Sacrée Soirée. Télé-Loisirs met with him in Los Angeles, a few days before he finished packing his suitcases.

It’s during the week of Thanksgiving that we meet William Petersen. In the United States, everyone is preparing to celebrate, with turkey and pumpkin pie, this family gathering which is more important than Christmas. They’re doing their last shopping and battling huge traffic jams to be with their loved ones. But for Télé-Loisirs, our CSI has agreed to put the festivities aside for a few hours to speak to us about his next trip to France. ‘I love the country and I’m very excited about going to Paris’ he confides.

You’re coming to our country to appear on Sacrée Soirée. Do you know of the show and its presenter, Jean-Pierre Foucault?

No, I don’t know him, but it seems he’s well-known in France. Spell his name for me, I’ll do some internet research before meeting him (laughs).

Are you going to be on other French TV shows?

I don’t know. I don’t really know what I’m going to be doing during this stay in Paris. I know that I’m going to be there for eight days. I have many friends to meet up with. I particularly want to see Stéphane Godin, who dubs the voice of my character on CSI. I don’t understand what he says in French, but I appreciate his voice and above all his work. Frankly, I regret that my decision to quit the series has led to all the people who dub for me overseas losing their jobs. The people at TF1 have allowed me to get back in touch with him, so we’ll have a drink together.

Are you going to do a little tourism in our capital?

Absolutely, all the more since my wife (Gina Cirone, editor’s note) will be with me. Just before that, we’ll be spending a few days in London, then we’re going to Paris. We’re going to have a great time, because it’ll be just before Christmas. My wife and I are planning to go to the Musée d’Orsay and the Pont-Neuf, which I love.

What do you like in Paris?

In Paris, you feel alive. It’s great to be there. And if you throw a stone in whatever direction, you find an incredible monument or a museum.

Are you interested in French current events? For example, do you know our President?

Everyone knows Sarkozy. Not because of him, but because of Carla Bruni. They don’t give a damn about him. What’s important to us, us men, is her ! [He bursts out laughing.] More seriously, I think that Mr Sarkozy is an interesting person who has an important role to play, above all in this difficult period we’re going through at the moment.

Are you scared that you’ll be recognized in France?

No, I know that the French are charming. I have wonderful memories of when I was at MIPTV in Cannes [the international TV production market, editor’s note]. The French are jovial and have a fantastic sense of humor. When I go to Italy, it’s harder to handle. Once, a waitress in a café in a little Italian village started screaming when she saw me, because she thought a crime had taken place.

Your daughter’s name, Maite, is of Basque origin. Do you have ties to that region?

Yes, that’s where my daughter was born, in the north of Spain. Her first name comes from the Pyrénées, more precisely it’s of Basque origin. [Maite Nerea was born in 1975 in Montdragón, in the Spanish Basque country, editor’s note] I lived in the Pyrénées for a year to take courses at a theater school. I played Hamlet there for the first time. I was 21 years old. The Vietnam had just ended. I fell in love with the theater. That place totally changed my life.

What scoops are you going to reveal to Jean-Pierre Foucault about the next developments on CSI? There’s talk notably of an episode in Paris …

It’s a possibility, but certainly not this season. In fact, we’d love to shoot a CSI film partly in France, but our channel CBS, which produces and broadcasts our show, isn’t enthusiastic about the idea. According to them, it would risk upsetting the viewers, who might think the series was going to end.

What do you think of Laurence Fishburne, who has succeeded you?

I love Laurence. We’ve been friends for many years. However I think that the team is still working on the best way to use his talent. The producers have lost three important characters from the series in practically the same year [Gary Dordan, Jorja Fox, editor’s note]. It’s hard for CSI to find its balance again, even with Jorja returning for some episodes.

What have you done since leaving CSI?

I come from the theater, and one of the main reasons I decided to leave CSI was motivated by my desire and my need to go back to the stage. I’ve just done a play at Victory Gardens, in Chicago, the place where I started my acting career. Today above all I want to prove that I can be someone other than Gil Grissom.

You’re lucky to be thriving both in your professional life and private life. Do you still have dreams to fulfill?

I’ve been so spoiled in my private life and my professional career that I don’t even know what else I could dream of. Maybe working with French directors for example, because, in the United States, most films lack interest. One thing is sure: I don’t want to be in an American series any more. I could never do better than CSI.