“CSI” Actor William Petersen Is Nearing 20th Wedding Anniversary To Former Schoolteacher Wife Gina

Feb 17, 2022 by apost team

William Petersen is an American actor who is best known for portraying the role of Gil Grissom on the popular procedural drama “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” Petersen won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award as well. As a producer, he received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the series. The show ran from 2000 to 2015, which is an incredible run. 

Then, in 2021, Petersen reprised his role in the series “CSI: Vegas.” Petersen appeared in season one of “CSI: Vegas” alongside his onscreen wife Jorja Fox. The onscreen couple loved the premise for the new series and thought that their characters, Grissom and Sara, would be a great fit for the new storyline. However, both actors will not return for the second season of the show.

Petersen was born in Evanston, Illinois, in 1953 and went to high school in Idaho. He attended Idaho State University after graduating. While there he discovered acting and left college to pursue a career as an actor. He then moved to Basque country and studied Shakespearean acting. 

The actor appeared in a number of films throughout the 1980s and 9'0s, including “To Live and Die in L.A.,” which was his film debut, “Manhunter,” “Young Guns II” and “Fear.” He has also performed in productions as a member of the Steppenwolf Theater Company in Chicago. 

Petersen has been married twice in his life. His first marriage was to Joanne Brady in 1975 and they share a daughter named Maite. He got married for the second time to Gina Cirone in 2003. They decided to have children via a surrogate and their twins were born in 2011. Keep reading to learn more about Petersen’s life, career and family. 

William Petersen (2002), (Albert L. Ortega/WireImage via Getty Images)

In Aug. 2021, Petersen shared how it felt to return to the world of “CSI: Vegas.” He said: “Completely weird because we thought we’d put this to bed a long time ago. It’s a whole new thing and yet still the bones of the old thing.” The actor’s co-star and on-screen wife, Jorja Fox, also returned for the revival. Fox said:

“First of all, I love Sara and Grissom. I always will. Not to talk about the olden days too much, but even though we were together, we weren’t together. We were (secretly) married, we were divorced. Embarking on this phase, we’re going to meet them not only as a couple that’s together but a couple that’s been living on and off a boat together for several years.”

The characters of Sara and Grissom remain fan favorites. Petersen added:

“Our attraction to each other was always based on the work. We were always in some kind of mind-meld when we were working. There was nobody he would rather be in the lab with or on a crime scene with than Sara. She got it. She got him, and he eventually got her.”

The executive VP of current programs at CBS, Amy Reisenbach, said:

“The incredibly talented ‘CSI: Vegas’ creative team and cast did a superb job this first season, brilliantly updating and portraying the CSI universe with fresh stories and a new crime lab, proving that after 20 years, the CSI fan base is still hungry for more and ready to embrace a new chapter in this illustrious franchise.”

In Dec. 2021, Petersen revealed he would not return for the second season of "CSI: Las Vegas," however, he's still on board as a producer.  

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William Petersen, Gina Cirrone (2003), (Sylvain Gaboury/FilmMagic via Getty Images)

Petersen was first married to Joanne Brady in 1974 and they decided to divorce in 1981. They share a daughter named Maite, who was born in 1975. She is now an adult with two children of her own, named Mazrik William and Indigo August. This makes the star a grandfather and he seems to be very involved with his family. 

He found love again when he met former schoolteacher, Gina Cirrone. He proposed to Cirrone, in 2002 and they were married in Petrignano, Italy in June 2003. According to Entertainment Weekly, they decided to honeymoon in Europe as well. The couple welcomed a set of twins, a boy and a girl, in 2011 via a surrogate.

The family man wanted to focus on raising his children after the original "CSI" series ended and it seems he loves every minute of being a dad. Petersen said:

“I had a relationship with CBS that was gold standard. And when ‘CSI’ ended, I just decided I was going to spend as much time with my two (kids) as I can. I just spend my time chasing them around. They’re not here right now, and that means I can’t sleep.”

After his twins were born prematurely in 2011, they had to spend time an extended amount of time in the hospital. After they were born, Petersen announced:

“The babies are doing great and are improving every day and we can’t wait for them to come home.”

The family is now doing great and it appears Petersen wants nothing more than spending time with his children. Next year, he and his wife will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary.

In regard to his acting work, Petersen had the time to be involved in two projects in 2021. Currently, he does not have any acting roles in films or TV series announced for 2022 or beyond. 

Gina Petersen, William Petersen (2015), (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images)

Are you a fan of the “CSI” franchise? Do you think it’s nice that Petersen prioritizes spending time with his family? Let us know and be sure to pass this on to your friends and loved ones.  

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