George Eads is officially leaving Las Vegas. The actor, who has played Stokes on CSI since the pilot 15 seasons ago, will be leaving the CBS series. He is the last remaining original cast member.
The news was first reported by TV Guide. Sources for the site say that Stokes’ departure will have to do with the Gig Harbor killer case, but it’s not clear exactly how.
Eads is leaving the series on good terms, unlike the last time he left the show. Back in August 2013, he took a leave of absence following an argument he had with a staff writer. Eads previously was involved in a contract standoff in 2004, along with Jorja Fox, but he didn’t miss an episode in that instance.
His departure follows Paul Guilfoyle, who left at the end of season 14. William Petersen, Gary Dourdan and Marg Helgenberger have also left the show. Fox is a regular now, but did not appear in the pilot and was only a recurring star in seasons 9 and 10.
This is a tough time for the original CSI, since its order was recently trimmed to 18. TV Guide reports that the cut doesn’t have anything to do with Eads leaving and won’t have an impact on CBS’ decision to renew, if it does.
Still, CBS will premiere CSI: Cyber during this midseason, so the franchise is far from dead.
image courtesy of Jean Catuffe/INFphoto.com