LOS ANGELES – Fired “CSI” co-star George Eads says his rift with CBS is “an incredible misunderstanding” that he hopes will be cleared up by the end of the week.

Eads, who met with TV critics to talk about his July 30 TNT movie, “Evel Knievel,” in which he plays the legendary daredevil, sounded considerably humbler than Knievel as he talked about his side of the situation that put him and co-star Jorja Fox out of work last week.

“Let me tell you, I’ve apologized nine ways to Sunday. It’s a big misunderstanding, straight up,” he said. “I’m dealing with a man (CBS boss Les Moonves) who’s cut from the same piece of leather as I am: A contract is a contract … It’s not about money with me.”

On the day on which he was accused of not showing up to work in an attempt to win a pay raise, Eads said, “I overslept.”

“I woke up white as a sheet” 3½ hours after he was supposed to report to work, he said. When he called in to say he was on his way in, he was told, “Don’t bother,’ ” he said.

“It’s like I’m a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys and I overslept for the first day of practice. I expect the coach to have me run hills,” not fire him, he said.

“I want all this to work out. “CSI’s’ part of who I am,” said the actor, who indicated he plans no legal action against Moonves or CBS. “He’s the boss,” he said. “If I’m gone, I’m gone.”

A CBS spokesman told the Associated Press he had “no immediate comment.”