The second spinoff in the wildly popular CSI franchise, CSI: New York told grittier stories and featured a cast of recognizable names in nearly every role. Debuting in 2004, the show follows detectives in New York City who use sophisticated science to crack some of the most high-profile cases in the Big Apple. Unlike the sun-drenched locations of the first two CSI series, New York's urban environment immediately gave the show a different tone, and a slew of violent and disturbing cases accentuated its procedural elements. Similar to its predecessors, CSI: New York had a fast-paced and exciting energy which made it a must-watch series each season.
Truly allowing its cast to shine, CSI: New York also added a lot of character drama to the action, and the episodes were usually a fine balance of both. Riding a wave of popularity during the aughts, CSI: New York was one of many early 2000s crime drama shows that fans obsessed over, and yet it stood out from the pack due in large part to its cast. While all the CSI series could boast big names in their ensembles, CSI: New York assembled a cast of veteran performers who made the procedural elements believable while still delivering gripping character drama.
Gary Sinise As Mac Taylor
Veteran character actor Gary Sinise stars in CSI: New York as Detective Mac Taylor, the hard-nosed director of the NYPD crime lab whose tough-but-fair approach keeps his fellow detectives on a short leash. Sinise is immediately recognizable for his Oscar-nominated turn as the jaded veteran Lieutenant Dan Taylor in the Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis movie Forrest Gump, and he starred as George Milton in the John Steinbeck adaptation Of Mice and Men. Sinise also appeared in the classic space movie Apollo 13 as Ken Mattingly and took a decidedly villainous turn as Detective Jimmy Shaker in Ransom.
Melina Kanakaredes As Stella Bonasera
Acting as Mac's partner, Stella Bonasera is a firebrand detective who often acts too brashly, which is in direct conflict with Mac's by-the-book approach. In the cast of CSI: New York, Stella was played by Melina Kanakaredes, who is famous for her role as the goddess Athena in the fantasy film Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Kanakaredes also starred as protagonist Dr. Sydney Hansen in the series Providence and she appeared in a supporting capacity as Nicolette Karas in the thriller film 15 Minutes. Kanakaredes also starred in the Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson vehicle Snitch as Sylvie Collins.
Carmine Giovinazzo As Danny Messer
Carmine Giovinazzo stars as Danny Messer, a young detective from a troubled family who hopes to one day use his own complicated set of ethics to run the NYPD crime lab. A veteran presence in TV and movies, Giovinazzo's career-defining role came as SGT Mike Goodale in the cast of Black Hawk Down, but he also appeared as Ken Strout in the sports film For Love of the Game. Giovinazzo played the role of Ken Pierce in the based-on-a-true-story thriller Breaking, and he starred in the recurring role of Nick Gatchi in the Apple TV Plus original series High Desert.
Vanessa Ferlito As Aiden Burn
Detective 3rd Grade Aiden Burn is known for her Brooklyn street smarts and her unstoppable drive in solving cases. Burn was played by Vanessa Ferlito in CSI: New York who is best known for her role as Arlene in Quentin Tarantino's mixed-genre slasher film Death Proof. She also appeared as Audrey in the long-awaited sequel film Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, and as Cassie in Julie & Julia. After her success in CSI: New York, Ferlito starred in the long-running role of Tammy Gregorio in the procedural series NCIS: New Orleans.
Hill Harper As Dr. Sheldon Hawkes
Hill Harper stars in CSI: New York as Dr. Sheldon Hawkes, the NYPD crime lab's medical examiner who eventually moved into the field to help solve bigger cases. Harper is perhaps best known for his earlier roles such as Will Beckford in The Skulls and Coleman "Booger" Sykes in He Got Game, but he also gained acclaim for his role as Calder Michaels in the series Covert Affairs. Harper played the recurring role of Rob Emmons on the Showtime series Homeland, and he played Dr. Marcus Andrew on the ABC medical drama The Good Doctor.
Eddie Cahill As Don Flack
In CSI: New York, Eddie Cahill plays the determined Detective Don Flack who works closely with the NYPD crime lab though he isn't certified CSI. Cahill's breakout role came as Jim Craig in the critically acclaimed hockey movie Miracle, and he also appeared as Larry Gordon in the skateboarding classic Lords of Dogtown. Cahill starred as Conner Wallace in the short-lived ABC procedural Conviction, and he also played the recurring role of Sam Verdreux in the Stephen King adaptation TV series Under the Dome.
Anna Belknap As Lindsay Messer
A native of Bozeman, Montana, Lindsay Messer is a keen-eyed NYPD detective who uses her unconventional wisdom to help the team crack cases. Messer was played in the cast of CSI: New York by Anna Belknap who is also known for her stints as Eva Rossi on Medical Investigation and as Chase on the newspaper-centric thriller series Deadline. A consistent performer in procedural series, Belknap made one-off guest spots as Brenda in How to Get Away with Murder and Cora Denoble in The Good Doctor. Belknap played the role of Dr. Strauss on Chicago Med, and appeared on Law & Order: SVU twice, as Ginny McCann and Sarah Kimmel.
Robert Joy As Dr. Sid Hammerback
Robert Joy joins the cast of CSI: New York as Dr. Sid Hammerbeck, a brilliant but strange medical examiner who puts his genius to work for the detectives. Mostly known for his appearances in horror films, Robert Joy starred as Charlie Houx in the George Romero zombie movie Land of the Dead and as Lizard in the remake of The Hills Have Eyes. Joy also played Col. Stevens in Alien vs. Predator: Requiem and took a more comedic turn as Dr. Stephen Hawking in the spoof film Superhero Movie.
A.J. Buckley As Adam Ross
Adam Ross is a lab tech for the NYPD's crime lab whose extreme insecurity led to him becoming one of the most competitive members of the team. Ross was played by A.J. Buckley who is also well-known for his stint as Ed Zeddmore in Supernatural and as Dave on the hit series Entourage. A celebrated voice actor, Buckley voiced the character of Nash in the Disney Pixar film The Good Dinosaur and Pigeon Pete in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Buckley also plays the long-running character of Sonny Quinn on CBS' action-centric series SEAL Team.
Sela Ward As Jo Danville
Played by Sela Ward in the cast of CSI: New York, Jo Danville is the Assistant Supervisor of the NYPD crime lab after she replaced Stella Bonasera. With a career stretching all the way back to the 1980s, Sela Ward is best known for her roles as Helen Kimble in The Fugitive and Sharon Schieber in Gone Girl. Ward also starred as Jeannie Miller in Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights and she played President Elizabeth Lanford in the science fiction action epic Independence Day: Resurgence.