The Early Show

Morris: 'Cold Case' Is Red Hot

October 27, 2004 / 12:28 PM EDT / CBS

Going from the big screen to a weekly television drama isn't the kind of leap most people think it is, says Kathryn Morris, who plays detective Lilly Rush on the CBS drama series "Cold Case."

"Jerry ( creator Jerry Bruckheimer) makes movies every week," Morris said in an interview on The Early Show. "And I think that's why he's kind of made all of these great dramas on CBS, and they're all very different. And CBS and Warner Bros. have really made it happen and let us do our thing. They trust me, trust our brilliant writers and just let us do what we do."

Lilly Rush is the lone female detective in the Philadelphia homicide squad who finds her niche when she's assigned to "cold cases" -- that is, old crimes that have never been solved. In her work, she interrogates witnesses of "yester-crimes." Over the years, the circumstances of their lives have changed. But, as Lilly and her team make use of new science, they are able to find fresh clues to close cases that were previously unsolvable.

Part of the job: being prepared to open up old wounds that may lead suspects to commit new crimes. As far as Lilly is concerned, her main mission is to make sure no victim is ever forgotten.

In the show, which is now in its second season, Morris plays Rush as a strong, independent single working woman, and she says the character has struck a chord with audiences.

"It has been an unexpected surprise to me," Morris says. "I knew the character was written as a strong and independent woman, but so many people have come up to me and said, 'You know, you remind me of someone I work with.' Or, 'You remind me of my wife,' 'You remind me of my mother, the way that she tries to juggle having a personal life and, you know, having a job and she's not going to settle. She can bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan and she's not going to settle for an OK guy and wait for the right one.'"

Facts about Kathryn Morris:

Kathryn Morris's feature film credits include "Paycheck," "Mindhunters," "Minority Report," "AI: Artificial Intelligence," "The Last Castle," "The Contender" and "As Good As It Gets."

Her television credits include the mini-series "And Never Let Her Go" and "Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All," both on CBS, and the movies "Inherit the Wind," "Long Road Home" and "Rise and Walk: The Dennis Byrd Story."

Morris has starred in such theatrical productions as "Lovers and Other Strangers," "Waiting for Lefty," "The Murder Room," "The Fantasticks" and "Crimes of the Heart."

She was born in Dallas and lives in Los Angeles.

Brian Dakss

Brian Dakss is a longtime New York-based editor and writer for CBS News, at the Radio network and with CBSNews.com. He has written and edited for NBC News, Dow Jones and numerous radio stations and been a radio anchor and reporter.

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