Sin never sleeps.

Genre: Crime, Drama
Episode(s): 2.23 “The Hunger Artist”
Role: Ashleigh James (guest appearance)
Status: Original airdate May 18 2002 (U.S.)
Series Creator(s): Ann Donahue, Anthony E. Zuiker
Cast: William Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, Gary Dourdan, George Eads, Jorja Fox, Eric Szmanda, Paul Guilfoyle, Robert David Hall, Susan Misner (guest), Bill Sage (guest), Mark Sheppard (guest)
Network: CBS

• Overview
• Memorable Ashleigh Quotations
• Said of CSI
• CSI Episode Trivia
• Reception: Awards & Personal Thoughts
• CSI Online

More CSI images of Tricia in our CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Photo Gallery

Series and episode overview by Tricia Helfer Fan:

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is a popular CBS crime drama about the crime-solving work of the Las Vegas PD forensics unit. In every episode, the six Las Vegas crime scene investigators use forensic evidence and the latest available technology to solve even the most complicated murder cases.

In episode “The Hunger Artist”, a woman is found lying dead in a shopping cart in a Las Vegas back alley, her face badly torn, and the CSI begin to investigate her death. Following an autopsy, one of the investigators suddenly recognizes the woman as local top model Ashleigh James. As the CSI delve deeper into her life and the obscure circumstances of her death, Ashleigh is revealed as a drug addict and severely bulimic, as well as having a homeless sister Cassie (Misner), once a model herself. But who killed Ashleigh?

* * * *

Tricia Helfer portrays Ashleigh James, a successful local model who is revealed to be not only bulimic and a drug-addict, but also suffering of a complex self-destructive disorder. As aspiring models, Ashleigh and her sister are quickly drawn into the dog-eat-dog world of the industry, with disastrous consequences for them both.

Coming soon/not available.

Select quotations regarding the show from Tricia Helfer and her co-workers:

On the role of Ashleigh:
“People thought it would bother me, coming from a modeling world, to play that [kind of a role]. [But] I’ve seen anorexia, I’ve seen bulimia…”
– Square Off interview, May 12 2006

On the role of Ashleigh and how she got the part:
“What I find fascinating about acting, is getting into the character. My first role in L.A. was on CSI, playing a model. I had no lines. The model had body dysmorphic disorder. I auditioned for the schizophrenic sister. The director said, ‘There were only two of you who came in here, and you look more like a model than she does. Will you take the role?’ I found that a challenge for the first job: no lines but a deeply troubled character.”
- Back Stage interview, August 18 2010

• In episode “The Hunger Artist”, Tricia Helfer portrays a self-destructive, drug-addicted and severely bulimic local top model. Ironically, the episode was one of Tricia’s first professional acting gigs since folding her modeling career.

• Appearing as Ashleigh on CSI, Tricia was reportedly often asked how, in light of her modeling background, she felt about portraying such a character, to which Tricia always responded she never had any scruples about the part, having already “seen it all”.

• Tricia has no lines in the episode.

• Tricia actually originally auditioned for the role of Cassie, Ashleigh’s homeless, schizophrenic sister.

• Tricia’s would-be Battlestar Galactica co-star Mark Sheppard also guest stars in the episode.

• When Tricia invited MTV Canada’s Cribs to her Los Angeles home in January 2008, an Andy Warhol-type collage of Tricia is pictured on one of the walls. According to Tricia, it is in fact the same painting as seen briefly in Ashleigh’s Las Vegas apartment on CSI. According to Tricia, the painting was made especially for the episode, and she got to keep it after the shoot.

Awards & Nominations

CSI episode 2.23 “The Hunger Artist” has not received any awards or nominations.

Personal Thoughts

Sandra: Since the early episodes of CSI, I have to say I have not been a fan of the series, however popular it may be. After a promising start, CSI quickly deteriorated into a sloppily written and formulaic “drama” with nothing to say or anything to offer except cheap tricks to gain viewers (sex, and — kinky sex). It is in fact one of my least favorite shows on television today, as it has been since Season 2, and if you have time to “waste” on TV, there are better executed crime dramas to waste it on.

That said, “The Hunger Artist” isn’t the worst of the lot, and in a way actually marks one of Tricia’s most interesting guest roles to date. I was particularly surprised at how expressive Tricia is in the episode, despite having no lines and having had almost no prior acting experience at the time of the filming. Although she’s clearly developed as an actress since then, out of her absolutely earliest film and television characters this one in particular showed a lot of promise. I may hate the show, but it doesn’t make Tricia’s brief appearance on it any less terrific.

Below are some CSI related links that may be of interest to you.

• CSI official site
• CSI TFL-approved fanlisting
• CSI TFL-approved Ashleigh character fanlisting
• CSI on IMDb.com
• CSI on MetaCritic.com
• CSI on Wikipedia.org

• Eric Szmanda on Eric Szmanda Web
• George Eads on George Eads Fan
• Jorja Fox on Jorja Fox Online
• William Petersen on BillyPetersen.com