“CSI ”Star William Petersen Is Happily Retired, Says His Agent 'Hasn't Done Anything in 15 Years': 'Poor Guy'

After a agelong and thriving Hollywood profession highlighted by his nine-season-plus stint arsenic Gil Grissom connected CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, William Petersen insists he’s happily retired and not actively looking for much surface work.

“I person an supplier now that he hasn't done thing successful 15 years, nan mediocre guy. Because I’m like, ‘No – I'm not doing anything. I'm not going to do it,'" he says.

Speaking pinch PEOPLE earlier a 40th day screening of his breakout Hollywood film, To Live and Die successful L.A., astatine Beyond Fest astatine nan American Cinematheque, Petersen, 72, admits that he’s perfectly contented to person wrapped up his acting profession pinch 1 past 10-episode move arsenic Grissom successful nan 2023 franchise spinoff series, CSI: Vegas.

“I don't really want to do anything!” he laughs. “Because astatine a definite constituent you realize…I've done 40 plays aliases whatever, I've done movies, I've done television. I managed to participate successful each 3 mediums, successful position of what you tin do arsenic an actor.” 

Instead, Petersen is happily ensconced backmost successful Chicago, wherever he first launched his profession arsenic a theatre actor. There, he’s put his attraction squarely connected his family and his adjacent circle of friends. “I’ve still sewage kids, and I’ve sewage grandkids older than my younger kids,” he notes, speaking of a girl from his first marriage, and teenage twins, a boy and daughter, pinch woman Gina Cirone.

“And it's benignant of getting ready: a batch of my friends are older, and a batch of my family has gotten older,” he explains. “So it's benignant of monitoring nan extremity of lives astir me, and I'm benignant of conscionable successful that thing. I conscionable don't person nan ego to spell get successful beforehand of cameras anymore.”

Petersen explains that he ne'er expected to person immoderate benignant of Hollywood acting profession until a chance referral by his friend and colleague, Gary Sinise, led to his casting successful William Friedkin’s beloved crime thriller To Live and Die successful L.A.

The 1985 deed launched a important movie and TV profession for Petersen that included filmmaker Michael Mann’s Manhunter, Amazing Grace, Chuck, nan governmental play The Contender, arsenic good arsenic nan franchise-launching CSI.

“My first 4 movies, I didn't person an agent,” he admits. “We were conscionable making deals arsenic we went along. We had nary thought – but of course, I wouldn't person nan location that I have. My kids wouldn't person gone to nan schools that they went to without them.”

“It's funny, 1 of those things wherever if you're not looking for it, possibly it comes successful nan door, because I had nary volition of surviving successful Los Angeles, ever, aliases being successful nan movies aliases having a tv show aliases immoderate of those things,” Petersen insists.

“They were each byproducts of conscionable trying to beryllium a theatre actor, conscionable trying to beryllium a bully actor," he continues. "So I was incredibly lucky. Obviously, I show young actors this erstwhile they inquire maine astir it. I'm like, ‘Look, it can't beryllium duplicated, what happened to me. These are 1 successful a million.’ ”

And contempt his drawstring of unexpected Hollywood successes, Petersen determinedly kept his roots successful Chicago – particularly nan Windy City's theatre segment – firmly planted. “I ne'er stayed retired here,” he says. “I would spell backmost to Chicago, because I ne'er had immoderate volition of making movies. My volition was to beryllium successful nan theater.”

"For me, it’s conscionable been a lark, really,” he admits. “It's been fun. Because I ne'er cared whether I sewage thing aliases didn't get something, because nary of it was planned. It's 1 of those things wherever if you don't person awesome expectations, you don't person disappointments.”

“I've conscionable been fortunate and I've been capable to do what I wanted, and that's really singular successful this…well, not conscionable successful this business, but successful this existent world we unrecorded in, conscionable to beryllium capable to do what you want to do whenever you want to do it,” he adds. “Yeah, I couldn't beryllium much fortunate arsenic a quality being, rather frankly.”