Greg Sanders
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation character | |
| Image:Sanders 43570.jpg |
|
| Greg Sanders | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Hair color | Brown with blond highlights |
| City | Las Vegas |
| Job | Lab Tech, CSI |
| Rank | CSI Level 3 |
| Position | Night shift CSI |
| Current status | Alive |
| Known relatives | Olaf (Grandfather), Nana Olaf, unnamed parents, no siblings |
| Portrayed by | Eric Szmanda |
| First appearance | The Pilot |
Gregory Sanders (born May 5, 1975) is a fictional character featured on the US crime drama television show, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Greg is played by Eric Szmanda.
Contents |
[edit] Fictional character biography
[edit] Early life
Greg Sanders grew up in San Gabriel, California. Although friends and family told him that science was for geeks, Greg knew from a young age that he wanted to become a scientist. The season 4 episode "Coming of Rage" revealed that he had a palate expander, braces, a retainer, and head gear while growing up. Although he was never good at sports, Greg was the captain of the high school chess team. In the season seven episode "Fannysmackin'", Greg reveals that his overprotective mother refused to let him play sports in high school because he was her only child. Greg stated that his mother wanted four children, but only got one.
[edit] Education
Greg successfully managed to juggle studying and extra-curriculars and eventually went on to earn his degree in chemistry from Stanford University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He has a wide variety of hobbies, including surfing, scuba diving, and numismatics (the study of money - in the episode "Precious Metal" his knowledge of the subject helps the investigation). "Precious Metal" also reveals that Greg likes supermodels and latex.
[edit] Professional life
Greg could be considered the most "normal" member of the CSI team. He's always smiling, he remains somewhat optimistic and he maintains a lot of interests aside from his Crime Lab work (he listens to Marilyn Manson while running lab machines and hides porn magazines in some area cabinets). This is most likely due to his youth; he hasn't been fully subjected to the horrors of this job like the rest of the team. He is also not concerned with the financial aspect of a job -- just the joy that it brings.
In the season 3 episode "Play with Fire" he was involved in a lab explosion, which he survived. Also, in the season 7 episode "Fannysmackin'" he is severely injured after he risks his life to save a tourist being beaten to death by a gang of teenage thrill seekers. He later tells Gil Grissom that he has kept his promotion to CSI a secret from his parents because he didn't want to worry them. Grissom tells Greg his mother will be proud of him for saving a man's life. In the season 7 episode "Post Mortem", Greg's split-second decision to run over one of the men threatening the tourist is found to be "excusable." The man's family disagrees with the verdict and serves Greg with a civil suit.
He started out as the resident lab rat, sitting quietly in his lab working away on the loads of evidence and DNA the CSIs brought in, usually responsible for making discoveries about pieces of evidence that would crack a case open. Eventually Greg grew tired of the lab and longed for a position out in the field. He failed his first test when he urinated in a toilet at a crime scene, but eventually attained the rank of CSI level one. At his low rank, he mostly only assists at crime scenes, collecting evidence and helping the more experienced CSIs. He rarely interviews suspects. However, he later graduated to investigating crime scenes on his own. In "Fannysmackin'" (season 7 episode 4), Greg celebrated over dinner with the female district attorney after his testimony at a jury trial helped put away a criminal. David Hodges' character has been somewhat expanded since Greg's promotion, and he now seems to fill the role of lab rat on the show that Greg once held.
Early on in the show, Greg had a huge crush on Sara Sidle, which may or may not have disappeared. Sara doesn't like Greg romantically; she appears to only have eyes for Gil Grissom. Nonetheless the two remain close friends, as Sara was Greg's mentor through his training and continues to offer him helpful hints.
Greg is also notable for his ever-changing hairstyles.
[edit] Family
Greg is part Norwegian, which was revealed in season 3, episode 3 ("Let the Seller Beware"):
- Grissom: Your mother's maiden name is Hojem, correct? Hojem is Norwegian?
- Greg: Yeah. And you know, my grandfather got tossed from Norway for getting my grandmother pregnant before they got married. To this day, he still tells me "som man reder, så ligger man".
- (pause)
- Greg: One must lie in the bed one has made.
His heritage was referenced again in season 5, episode 5 (Swap Meet):
- Hodges: Good thing you don't have to pass a spelling test to work in the field. 'Funtain' water?
- Greg: My people are Norwegian. That's how we spell it.
- (Note: Fountain in Norwegian is "fontene".)
Greg has mentioned on several occasions his grandfather, whom he affectionately calls 'Papa Olaf.' He also mentions his Nana Olaf in season 6, episode 19 (Spellbound). She apparently possessed psychic powers, and his family believes that Greg may have inherited this ability from her.
[edit] Trivia
- Owns a Dreamcast.
- Likes merlot and rack of lamb.
- Once lived in New York.
- Knows how to fold an Origami crane.
- Was a precocious child.
- Enjoys Blue Hawaiian Coffee.
- Has seen the movie Pulp Fiction (episode "Friends and Lovers")
- Was born with perfect eyesight.
- Likes Pink (singer-songwriter).
- His ringtone is "Feel Like Makin' Love".
- A Los Angeles Dodgers fan.
- Wore Doc Martens in high school and thinks that skinheads' enthusiasm for that style "kinda ruined it for the rest of us." (Fannysmackin')
- Lost his virginity when he was 22.
- According to the CSI novel Binding Ties (which is most likely non-canonical), he has seen at least one of the the Evil Dead movies
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | |
|---|---|
| Episodes | Characters | |
| Characters | Gil Grissom | Catherine Willows | Nick Stokes | Warrick Brown Sara Sidle | Jim Brass | Greg Sanders | Al Robbins Sofia Curtis | Conrad Ecklie |
| Former Characters | Holly Gribbs | Paul Millander | Lady Heather | Michael Keppler |
| Creator(s) | Anthony E. Zuiker |
| Computer Games | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | CSI: Dark Motives CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder | CSI: Hard Evidence |
| Related Series | CSI: NY | CSI: Miami |
