Gilbert Arthur "Gil" Grissom, Ph.D.

Portrayed by: William Petersen

Occupation: Night-shift supervisor of the Clark County, Nevada forensics team
Primary field of study: Biology (UCLA)
Specialization: Forensic Entomologist
Status: Single

Affiliations: Clark County Nevada CSI (current)

William Petersen as Gilbert 'Gil' Grissom

Fictional biography:
..born August 17, 1956 in Santa Monica California
..father was a botanist, died when Gil was 9 years old
..mother ran an art gallery
..learned how to read lips and sign language as mother was deaf
..himself suffered from otosclerosis -- inherited from his mother -- which is a progressive degenerative condition of the temporal bone (located at the side & base of skull, supporting the temple) which can result in hearing loss. He has since undergone corrective surgery to address this condition.

Geek symptoms:
..developed healthy interest in natural sciences before the age of 9
..conducted necropsies on the cadavers of animals found in the streets to further his scientific knowledge
..created a body farm (where cadavers are studied during decomposition)
..attended boxing matches to observe bruising and blood spatters arising from injuries
..keeps bizarre specimens in his office: a radiated fetal pig and a two-headed scorpion

Did you know:
..the character of Gil Grissom is loosely based on real-life criminalist Daniel Holstein of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
..the name Gil Grissom originated as a tribute to William Peterson's hobby of fishing ("Gil") and astronaut Gus Grissom.

Character Appearances:
..The character Gil Grissom first appeared in
CSI: Crime Scene Investigations Season1, Episode1 "Pilot" with original airdate of October 6, 2000.
..As a regular series character, Gil Grissom has appeared in all episodes save a handful until his eventual departure from the Series in Season 9.

Character Quotes:
.."I'm wrong all the time. It's how I get to 'right'."
.."Amazing how the sight of blood can clear a room." <click here to see more quotes>