CSI is now required viewing - ask a friend, if you've been living in the Tora Bora Caves lately. The main reason: Gary Dourdan. You might think you know all about him. You have no idea...

Gary Dourdan is a beautiful specimen of the human race. It's official. No, ladies, get your mind out of the gutter. This isn't going to be one of those 'pretty boy' pieces. And no,Pride hasn't suddenly gone blind and failed to notice Gary's outward appearance. But stand in the same room with Gary Dourdan (pronounce it just as you would 'Jordan') for more than one minute and you actually stop seeing him as one of Hollywood's finest and start looking past the twinkling blue eyes and heavenly afro.

As CSI's maverick forensic criminologist Warrick Brown, Dourdan has finally landed the hysteria-inducing role that had eluded him after years in the Hollywood system. A starring role in the 1997 Sigourney Weaver vehicle Alien Resurrection seemed to do the trick. Then, nothing. One of Hollywood's hottest properties was doing the circuit, achieving notable performances, but somehow not getting the recognition that should have been forthcoming (remember him in A Different World and his portrayal of Malcolm X in Muhammad Ali: King of the World?). Enter hit US drama series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, the high-action, fast-paced and gritty portrayal of the workings of the crime scene investigators on the gravegard shift at the Las Vegas Criminalists Bureau.

The CSI concept was seen as the 'hot potato' of American televsion. Though backed by veteran Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer and a cast of stellar performers, ABC and NBC passed before the show was snatched up by CBS. In America the series regularly notches up viewing figures of over 20 million, which is equalled only by long-running prime-time shows like ER. The impact is not lost on Gary Dourdan, the main attraction. The man is now a bona fide star. The ride to the top was not one without bumps. His professional CV is impressive, if underrated, yet very little is known about his personal one.

Born 30-something years ago to a fashion designer mother and a music agent father, Gary suffered early tragedy when is older brother Darryl died in mysterious circumstances while on the Caribbean island of Haiti. In an earlier interview, Gary described how the death of his sibling affected his development and helped to shape the man he's become. At a tender age, Darryl taught him to play the flute and that sense of musical and artistic expression has never left him. The acting pays the bills, but Gary Dourdan's creativity does not end with stints in front of the camera. His need to paint, write, produce and make music combats any other artistic frustrations he might be feeling.

Anyone who has ever listened to his recorded work, produced on his own Temple of Thoughts imprint with the Bare Eccentrics, will wonder why he isn't on stage more often sharing his gift. Describing his art form as eclectic with a bit of "soul, trip-hop and jazz", Gary truly opens up when discussing his great love. You get the feeling this outlet keeps his brain ticking over when other projects might not be so cerebral. Hollywood does not always recognise the truly gifted. Gary Dourdan knows this. You are only as great as your last big hit. While most actors only have to contend with doing a good job in their allotted roles, for an actor of colour the weight is that much heavier.

All CSI fans know that Dourdan's character Warrick Brown is the bad boy of the team. His old gambling habits are always at the back of the others' minds and you get the distinct impression that it is only a matter of time before Warrick gives in to his demons and succumbs to the crap tables. "He's been fantastic to play, 'cause who wants to play the nice guy all the time? That's pretty boring. You have to decide whether you want to play a role that may be stereotypical, and then you have to balance that with playing roles that have depth and direction. That's a huge balance to hold, because you have a social agenda and an artistic agenda, and you have to mix those, and that's a difficult position...it's a tightrope." Gary Dourdan knows he is show's 'brotha'. In auditions he was up against Allan Payne, Morris Chestnut, Kadeem Hardison and every other black male in Hollywood, it seems. He simply states, "You're a social phenomenon. It has always been that way."