Who played the character of Riley Adams on CSI?

Lauren Lee Smith played Riley Adams on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Smith joined the CBS forensic drama as a series regular during its ninth season. Riley Adams was a CSI Level II investigator who came to the Las Vegas team after working as a police officer in St. Louis. The character entered law enforcement partly as a rebellion against her parents, who were psychiatrists.

Adams initially worked well with Gil Grissom's team and helped fill the gap left by Sara Sidle's departure. Her first appearance was in “Art Imitates Life,” and she remained with the show through season 9, leaving after “All In.”

Viewers sometimes confuse Riley Adams with other female CSI investigators, including Marg Helgenberger's Catherine Willows, Jorja Fox's Sara Sidle, or Louise Lombard's Sofia Curtis. Smith's tenure was comparatively brief: Riley did not return as a regular character for season 10.