Gilbert "Gil" Grissom, Ph.D. is a fictional character portrayed by William Petersen on the American TV crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Grissom is a forensic entomologist and the night-shift supervisor of the Clark County, Nevada CSI (forensics) team, investigating crimes in and around the city of Las Vegas. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation producer and writer Carol Mendelsohn considers Grissom the center of the show, and in the seven first years of the show he appeared in every episode, with the exception of "Hollywood Brass", from season five, "Gum Drops" and "The Unusual Suspect" from season six, and the two season seven episodes: "Sweet Jane and "Redrum". In early season 6 he became romantically involved with subordinate CSI Sara Sidle. Grissom is ranked at number 82 on Bravo's Greatest Television Characters of All Time along with Catherine Willows. Grissom's final episode drew over 23 million viewers.

Character creation

Gil Grissom is loosely based on real life Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department criminalist Daniel Holstein, today a show consultant. While being interviewed for UK TV channel Five US, series creator Anthony E. Zuiker mentioned that the character was originally intended to be named Gil Scheinbaum, but after Petersen was cast, Zuiker decided he was 'insufficiently Jewish' for the name and along with Petersen decided to rename the character for astronaut Gus Grissom, of whom Petersen is a great admirer, and Gil because of one of the actor's hobbies, fishing.

Evolution through the years

Early episodes revealed Grissom to be a witty, enthusiastic and quirky scientist, who had some sense of humor. He flirted regularly and seemed to be constantly on a hyperactive state. However, when he began to lose his hearing, Grissom retreated into himself and lost a lot of the nerdy spark he once had. He became easily irritable and unapproachable. After his surgery, he lightened up a bit, but he has never gone back to the whimsical science nerd he once was.

Personality

Grissom in the series is often regarded as well-educated, but unusual in his approach toward his work and social life. In the series, some of his comments and actions can be seen to dumbfound his co-workers and superiors. His relationship with his subordinates in the office is portrayed as being a father figure to the team, however very professional in his work. Although he is very dedicated to his job and sometimes goes to extremes in his investigations, his unwillingness to dabble in office politics often alienates his superiors, and sometimes his subordinates. He gets a lot of help in these areas from right-hand woman Catherine Willows, who is always trying to make him "look up from the microscope". Being an entomologist, he has a wide and varied knowledge of insects, which he applies to his investigations. This has led to his nickname, "The Bug Man". In the beginning of the show, he was referred as "Gruesome Grissom" for his sometimes morbid fascination with the more bizarre aspects of man and nature. Grissom keeps a variety of specimens in his office, including a radiated fetal pig, a tarantula, and a two headed scorpion. He also has a bulletin board that looks like a fish on which unsolved cases go: "the ones that got away". Occasionally, he keeps evidence from closed cases (such as the models created by "The Miniature Killer"). When asked why he is a CSI, he responds, "Because the dead can't speak for themselves." This is one of his favorite quotes and he uses it frequently.






Gil Grissom Trivia:
Family members:

• Gil Grissom is a forensic entomologist and the night shift supervisor of the Las Vegas Forensics Team. He investigates crimes in and around Las Vegas, Nevada.

• Gilbert Arthur Grissom was born August 17, 1956 in Santa Monica, California. His Father was a botanist and his mother ran an art gallery. His father died when he was nine years old. Grissom's mother was deaf due to otosclerosis. Grissom knows sign language and can read lips. He had surgery to repair the damage from otosclerosis he had suffered and has no ill effects.

• Grissom is extremely well - educated and unusual. He is a loner and socially awkward. He can quote Shakespeare, Keats and more. He loves to race his prize cockroaches.

• Loves his fugly straw hat and often wore it in the field.

• Grissom loves to ride rollercoasters to relieve stress.

• Grissom has been in contact with fiance Sara Sidle.

• Grissom left the lab in search of his love, Sara in Costa Rica, and he found her!

• Grissom and Sara are now married and living in Paris waiting on a research grant. Grissom is lecturing and Sara returned for a bit to Vegas to help out the shorthanded team.
  

• Character Connections

He is close to Jim Brass, though they don't "hang out"

His close advisor is Doc Robbins, who he often goes to for "advice" in his own way.

His relationship with Catherine Willows is like a sibling. They argue, make up and tease. She advises him on his relationship with Sara Sidle, whether he realizes it or not!

Grissom is like a father to Warrick Brown and Nick Stokes.

Sara Sidle is the only person Grissom has ever loved. They have been involved for nine years, when they met at a Forensic Conference. Their romantic relationship didn't begin until Sara had been in Vegas for several years. But, Grissom admits to being 'intimate' with Sara for nine years.

Gil Grissom shares a dog, Hank with Sara Sidle.
After her return from her ordeal in the desert, he proposed to Sara while surrounded by bees. She said yes.

After announcing that he was leaving the lab, Grissom admitted that he'd miss Dave Phillips (SuperDave).

Grissom called and left a "happy birthday" message for NIck.

Grissom and Sara spent a week together in Paris recently, and he told Sara to send his reguards to Ecklie.