'CSI's Catherine Willows Turns 60: Her Most Iconic Quotes!

Long before the series returned to the small screen for a reboot in 2021, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation introduced viewers to Marg Helgenberger, who played the one and only Catherine Willows.

Throughout her years-long tenure on the show, Catherine held a special place in our hearts. Although she made her exit from the show after Season 12, she later returned for the series finale, and made her big comeback in Season 2 of CSI: Vegas.

Armed and ready with clapbacks for days, Catherine is a national treasure that must be protected at all costs. For the iconic TV character’s 60th birthday, we’ve rounded up a list of her best quotes!

1. “Never doubt, never look back. That’s how I live my life.” (Season 1, Episode 23: “Strip Stranger”)

2. “I may shop the outlets, but I read Vogue.” (Season 3, Episode 21: “Forever”)

3. “There’s 24 hours in the day and I’m pulling 16 for the county, spending three pretending to sleep and the other five lying to my daughter that everything’s going to be all right.” (Season 3, Episode 22: “Play With Fire”)

4. “Never underestimate the fragility of a male ego.” (Season 5, Episode 18: “Spark of Life”)

5. “You know the thing that makes a fantasy great is the possibility that it might come true. And when you lose that possibility, it just kind of sucks.” (Season 6, Episode 1: “Bodies in Motion”)

6. “My moral compass does not always point in the same direction as yours … ” (Season 6, Episode 11: “Werewolves”)

7. “One thing you learn doing this job is that bad things happen to people who never expect it.” (Season 6, Episode 17 “I Like to Watch”)

8. “Stop and smell the roses.” (Season 7, Episode 3: “Toe Tags”)

9. “I hope I die before I get old.” (Season 7, Episode 7: “Post-Mortem”)

10. “Everybody’s got dirty laundry. Sometimes it gets you killed.” (Season 7, Episode 8: “Happenstance”)

11. “You know, I’d slap you, but I think you’d enjoy it too much.” (Season 7, Episode 23: “The Good, The Bad & The Dominatrix”)

12. “Most four-year-olds will do what you tell them. Most ten-year-olds do what they want.” (Season 8, Episode 2: “Who and What?”)

13. “I like it when the king gets it wrong. Keeps him human.” (Season 8, Episode 14: “Drops’ Out”)

14. “I just like to watch the guys hit each other. And I like their butts.” (Season 10, Episode 5: “Bloodsport”)

15. “When you’re young, you think you are immortal and when you’re old, you just want to remember how that felt." (Season 10, Episode 13: “Internal Combustion”)

16. “I don’t do attics. I’m dirty enough.” (Season 11, Episode 4: “Sqweegel”)

17. “I’ve had all the complicated relationships I can handle. This is who I am. Please don’t try to change me. I promise I won’t try to change you.” (Season 11, Episode 9: “Wild Life”)

18. “I sat here a very long time ago and talked about how solving a case can make you feel like ‘King Kong on Cocaine’. But just like any drug, it’s got a dark side and the rush is fleeting — just like life.” (Season 12, Episode 12: "Willows in the Wind")