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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.[citation needed] She has also stated that she is unlikely to stay past her current contract on CSI which ends in 2008.[citation needed] 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.

(wikipedia.org)