Marc Vann

An outdoorsy child, Vann had no inclination to act while growing up. He went to college to become a business professional, and while studying for his MBA, Vann - almost on a whim - decided to take a miming workshop. It proved effective in igniting his passion for performing, and before long Vann was appearing in plays alongside acting heavyweights such as William Petersen at Chicago's famed Steppenwolf Theatre. He moved to Los Angeles in the late '90s to transition his career to the screen, and started landing bit parts on TV shows, as well as a few movies. He played an irate vinyl collector in Terry Zwigoff's 2001 indie dramedy, "Ghost World," and even landed a small role in the made-for-TV sports docudrama, "When Billie Beat Bobby" (ABC, 2001). By the mid-2000s, Vann's TV acting career was in full steam, having nabbed recurring parts on "Angel" (The WB, 1999-2004), "The Practice" (ABC, 1997-2004), and "Boston Legal" (ABC, 2004-08), while also appearing as a doctor whose origins are unknown on the fourth season of ABC's "Lost." But Vann's most memorable role came when he was cast as the difficult lawman Conrad Ecklie, on the first season of CBS's hit crime procedural, "CSI." The series also reteamed Vann with Petersen, who played forensic analyst Gil Grissom on the first nine seasons. Although Vann's character started out as an assistant director of the Las Vegas crime lab, he was promoted to Clark County sheriff during the show's 13th season, thus expanding his storyline.