Who Is ‘CSI: Vegas’ Star Paula Newsome?
The CSI family of shows appears to be stronger than ever. Though the original has been off the air for quite some time, it has spawned plenty of spinoff shows. The latest one, which will feature plenty of familiar faces, will be CSI: Vegas. That show will bring the investigative procedural format to Sin City in what is sure to be an exciting match. But every good drama needs a solid lead to anchor the show. It would appear that CSI: Vegas has one. Let’s take a closer look at the star of the show, the character she’ll play, and a preview of the rest of the cast.
What is ‘CSI: Vegas’ and who is the star?
CSI: Vegas will reintroduce the original classic series’ formula to its initial setting of Las Vegas. Joining the cast as the lead is Paula Newsome. According to IMDb, Newsome has made plenty of TV appearances prior to her star turn in this show. Some of the shows she’s appeared on include:
- Transparent
- Magnum, PI
- Castle
- How to Get Away with Murder
- Backstrom
- Suits
- Parenthood
- Grey’s Anatomy
She also had a role on NCIS, another CBS procedural drama. What got Newsome plenty of critical acclaim was her role as the main antagonist during the first season of the HBO dramedy series Barry. At the end of season one of that series, she meets her untimely demise at the hands of Bill Hader’s Barry, so she left the show. But Newsome’s talent clearly lined her up for plenty more opportunities, including this one.
The character Paula Newsome will play on ‘CSI: Vegas’
Details on the new revival series are scarce, but some have trickled out. A Deadline report says the Crime Lab will be facing an “existential threat.” So how will Newsome fit into all of this? The report goes on to say Newsome’s character will be named Maxine and will be the Crime Lab’s news leader. While she is an elite scientist in her field, she’s currently struggling with a divorce and dealing with her son’s addiction to opioids.
It seems like Maxine will bring her own form of expertise to the story, but she won’t be alone. It sounds as if she’ll be surrounded by some CSI standbys that fans of the show will be more than thrilled to see make their return.
The rest of the cast of ‘CSI: Vegas’ may look familiar
Joining Newsome in the cast will be some of the old regulars from the original CSI, including William Petersen, Jorja Fox, and Wallace Langham. They will reprise their roles from the original show, helping Maxine solve crimes. TV Insider reported that Peterson commented on the way the landscape will differ for the team now:
“The way we solved crimes 20 years ago is a lot different than the way they solve crimes now…The whole purpose of what the CSIs did then was find the truth and the truth doesn’t lie. A piece of hair fiber at a crime scene is the proof you need that that person was at the crime scene. I think that there was a feeling amongst the audience that that was a good thing. It was good to know what the truth was.”
So will this be a recipe for a hit? It seems like it may be. Audiences clearly loved the old CSI cast, and injecting some new life into it with Newsome’s Maxine is sure to put a twist on some classic favorites. It’s like the TV version of a new recipe applied to a comfort food dish – viewers get to see a new spin on a proven formula. It sounds like a win-win.
