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Marg Helgenberger (pronounced with a
hard 'G', unlike the name Marge) was born in Fremont, Nebraska to Kay, a
nurse, and Hugh Helgenberger, a meat inspector. She has German and Irish
ancestry and had a Catholic upbringing. One of her first jobs, as a
teenager, was spending her summers and her Christmas breaks working as a
‘boner’ at the meat packing plant where her father was employed.
Helgenberger played the French horn in her high school (North Bend Central
High School) marching band. Until she went to college, Helgenberger wanted
to be a nurse like her mother. Helgenberger earned a Bachelor of Science
degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
In 1984, Helgenberger met Alan Rosenberg, a guest actor on Ryan's Hope.
The two became friends and started dating in 1986. They married in 1989
and have one son, Hugh Howard Rosenberg (born October 21, 1990), named
after Helgenberger's father, Hugh Helgenberger.
A result of her mother's 27 year battle against breast cancer,
Helgenberger and her husband Alan Rosenberg have become very involved in
the fight against breast cancer. They host the Marg and Alan's Celebrity
Weekend every year in Omaha, Nebraska and have done so since since 1997.
Helgenberger started as a local news weather girl in her native Nebraska.
The news producer felt her name was too long and made her change it to
Margi McCarty. A scout for the soap opera Ryan's Hope discovered
Helgenberger when she performed as Kate in a University of
Nebraska-Kearney production of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the
Shrew, in the summer of 1981. Helgenberger debuted on the series in March
1982 playing Siobhan Ryan Novak, until 1986. Although she was actually the
third actress to play the role, she is the one most identified with the
part.
Her first major television role was on the period drama China Beach, where
she played KC Koloski, a hardened prostitute who catered to the servicemen
on base. Helgenberger won an Emmy for the role (Supporting Actress) in
1990. She later won critical acclaim for her portrayal of Patsy Ramsey in
Perfect Murder, Perfect Town: JonBenét and the City of Boulder. She is now
best known for her current portrayal of Catherine Willows, the lead female
character, in the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation which
began in 2000. When CSI first started filming, Helgenberger visited the
Clark County Coroner’s Office (Las Vegas) to see how things were really
done. She even viewed autopsies that were being performed. Helgenberger
has stated that she was angered at the franchising of CSI. She has also
stated that she is unlikely to stay past her current contract on CSI which
ends in 2008. She says that she often plays hacky sack with the guys
during their free time on set. Helgenberger got the chance to act with her
husband, Alan Rosenberg, again when he guest starred on CSI, season 5
(Weeping Willows) and season 7 (Leaving Las Vegas).
In 2005, Universal Studios, submitted Helgenberger in the best supporting
actress category for the Oscars for her performance as Ann Foreman in her
2004 movie In Good Company. In 2007, She was featured in the movies Conan:
Red Nails and Mr. Brooks.
In mid 2006, Helgenberger’s home town of North Bend, Nebraska, population
1213, renamed the street on which Helgenberger had her childhood home
‘Helgenberger Avenue’.
While not appearing in-frame, she is the unrequited love interest of the
bespectacled amphibian Buddy in Mark Heath's "Spot the Frog" comic strip.
Helgenberger continues to be included in lists of Hollywood's Most
Beautiful. In 2003 she was listed on People Magazine’s "50 Most Beautiful
People", #16 on VH1's 40 Hottest Women over 40, number 15 of The 25 Most
Attractive (Famous) Women in America in 2004, she was Esquire Magazine’s
“5 More Women We Love” in 2002, in 2004 she ranked number 35, 30, 29, 20,
17, 12 and 9 on The Glamour Girls Hot 100 due to her movie In Good Company
and her TV Guide cover. She was on the list for about 10 weeks and spent 1
week on the top ten. She is the 4th oldest woman to be in the top ten, her
character, Catherine Willows, along with the character of Gil Grissom, was
named number 82 in "Bravo's 100 Greatest TV Characters" and on March 2006
Catherine Willows was named number 6 on The Star's Top Ten Hottests TV
Characters, in 2007, she was named one of the most pleasant celebrites on
E! online's Answer B!tch Q&A page, and on March 2007 Helgenberger was
named one of the sexiest TV stars of 2007 by TV Guide Magazine.
In 2003, Helgenberger was asked to pose in Playboy Magazine but turned it
down. In fact, Helgenberger's only on-screen nude appearance to date was
in the 1996 film "Frame By Frame". Helgenberger and Jorja Fox sang Stand
by Me as a duet for What a Pair 4!! This is an annual charity event to
raise money for breast cancer research.
CSI co-star Gary Dourdan's nickname for Helgenberger is "Margalicious”.
Helgenberger's production company "Don't Call Me Marge!" is her humorous
jab at people’s mispronunciation of her name.
She loves the Steely Dan song “Babylon Sisters” for the lyrics “Drive west
on Sunset to the sea,” which she and her husband did on their first date. |
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Columbus Day (2008) .... Alice
Conan: Red Nails (2007) (V) (voice) .... Princess Tascela
"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" .... Catherine Willows (166
episodes, 2000-2007)
... aka C.S.I. (USA: short title)
... aka CSI: Las Vegas (USA: syndication title)
... aka CSI: Weekends (USA: promotional title)
... aka Experts, Les (Canada: French title)
- Dead Doll (2007) TV Episode .... Catherine Willows
- Living Doll (2007) TV Episode .... Catherine Willows
- The Good, the Bad and the Dominatrix (2007) TV Episode ....
Catherine Willows
- Leapin' Lizards (2007) TV Episode .... Catherine Willows
- Ending Happy (2007) TV Episode .... Catherine Willows
(161 more)
Mr. Brooks (2007) .... Emma Brooks
Bunco World Championships (2006) (TV) .... Host
In Good Company (2004) .... Ann Foreman
"King of the Hill" .... Mrs. Hanover / ... (1 episode, 2004)
- Hank's Back (2004) TV Episode (voice) .... Mrs. Hanover/Pretty
Student
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Dark Motives (2004) (VG) (voice)
.... CSI Level 3 Catherine Willows
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2003) (VG) (voice) .... Catherine
Willows
"CSI: Miami" .... Catherine Willows (1 episode, 2002)
- Cross-Jurisdictions (Pilot) (2002) TV Episode .... Catherine
Willows
Erin Brockovich (2000) .... Donna Jensen
Perfect Murder, Perfect Town: JonBenét and the City of Boulder
(2000) (TV) .... Patsy Ramsey
"Frasier" .... Emily (1 episode, 2000)
- Out with Dad (2000) TV Episode .... Emily
Lethal Vows (1999) (TV) .... Ellen Farris
Happy Face Murders (1999) (TV) .... Jen Powell
"Partners" .... Eve Darrin (1 episode, 1999)
- Pilot (1999) TV Episode .... Eve Darrin
Giving Up the Ghost (1998) (TV) .... Anna Hobson
Thanks of a Grateful Nation (1998) (TV) .... Jerrilynn Folz
... aka The Gulf War
Species II (1998) .... Dr. Laura Baker
Gold Coast (1997) (TV) .... Karen DiCilia
Fire Down Below (1997) .... Sarah Kellogg
The Last Time I Committed Suicide (1997) .... Lizzy
Murder Live! (1997) (TV) .... Pia Postman
My Fellow Americans (1996) (uncredited) .... Joanna
"ER" .... Karen Hines (5 episodes, 1996)
- John Carter, M.D. (1996) TV Episode .... Karen Hines
- Take These Broken Wings (1996) TV Episode .... Karen Hines
- Fevers of Unknown Origin (1996) TV Episode .... Karen Hines
- Fire in the Belly (1996) TV Episode .... Karen Hines
- The Healers (1996) TV Episode (uncredited) .... Karen Hines
Conundrum (1996) (TV) .... Det. Rose Ekberg
Inflammable (1995) (TV) .... Lt. (j.g.) Kay Dolan
"The Larry Sanders Show" .... Susan Elliott (1 episode, 1995)
- Nothing Personal (1995) TV Episode .... Susan Elliott
Species (1995) .... Dr. Laura Baker
Bad Boys (1995) .... Capt. Alison Sinclair
Just Looking (1995) .... Darlene Carpenter
Where Are My Children? (1994) (TV) .... Vanessa Meyer Vernon Scott
Lie Down with Lions (1994) (TV) .... Kate Nessen
... aka Red Eagle
The Cowboy Way (1994) .... Margarette
Keys (1994) (TV) .... Maureen 'Kick' Kickasola
... aka Keys to Her Past (USA)
Blind Vengeance (1994)
"Fallen Angels" .... Eve Cressy (1 episode, 1993)
- I'll Be Waiting (1993) TV Episode .... Eve Cressy
When Love Kills: The Seduction of John Hearn (1993) (TV) .... Debbie
Banister
... aka When Love Kills (Australia)
Distant Cousins (1993) .... Connie
The Tommyknockers (1993) (TV) .... Roberta 'Bobbi' Anderson
... aka Stephen King's The Tommyknockers
Partners (1993) (TV) .... Georgeanne Bidwell
Through the Eyes of a Killer (1992) (TV) .... Laurie Fisher
In Sickness and in Health (1992) (TV) .... Mickey
"The Hidden Room" .... Jane (1 episode, 1991)
- A Friend in Need (1991) TV Episode .... Jane
"Tales from the Crypt" .... Vicki (1 episode, 1991)
... aka HBO's Tales from the Crypt
- Deadline (1991) TV Episode .... Vicki
"China Beach" .... K.C. / ... (62 episodes, 1988-1991)
- Hello Goodbye (1991) TV Episode .... K.C.
- Through and Through (1991) TV Episode (credit only) .... K.C.
- Rewind (1991) TV Episode (credit only) .... K.C.
- Quest (1991) TV Episode .... K.C.
- The Always Goodbye (1991) TV Episode .... K.C.
(57 more)
Death Dreams (1991) (TV) .... Crista Westfield
Crooked Hearts (1991) .... Jennetta
Blind Vengeance (1990) (TV) .... Virginia Whitelaw
Always (1989) .... Rachel
After Midnight (1989) .... Alex
"thirtysomething" .... Cooper (1 episode, 1987)
- Weaning (1987) TV Episode .... Cooper
"Matlock" .... Laura Norwood / ... (1 episode, 1987)
- The Gambler (1987) TV Episode .... Victoria Rollins/Laura Norwood
"Shell Game" .... Natalie Thayer (6 episodes, 1987)
- Dead Wrong (1987) TV Episode .... Natalie Thayer
- Pai Gow (1987) TV Episode .... Natalie Thayer
- The Upstairs Gardener (1987) TV Episode .... Natalie Thayer
- The Old Team (1987) TV Episode .... Natalie Thayer
- Norman's Parking Ticket (1987) TV Episode .... Natalie Thayer
(1 more)
"Spenser: For Hire" .... Nancy Kettering (1 episode, 1986)
- An Eye for an Eye (1986) TV Episode .... Nancy Kettering
"Ryan's Hope" .... Siobhan Ryan Novak (20 episodes, 1982-1986)
- Episode dated 24 October 1985 (1985) TV Episode .... Siobhan Ryan
Novak
- Episode #1.2636 (1985) TV Episode .... Siobhan Ryan Novak
- Episode #1.2635 (1985) TV Episode .... Siobhan Ryan Novak
- Episode #1.2634 (1985) TV Episode .... Siobhan Ryan Novak
- Episode #1.2633 (1985) TV Episode .... Siobhan Ryan Novak
(15 more)
Tootsie (1982) (uncredited) .... Suzanne |
