The “Criminal Minds” cast has had a lot of room for change, mostly because the series has been a mainstay on TV screens since 2005. In fact, it once became so popular that when CBS canceled it in 2020, there was massive outrage.
The outrage forced CBS to bring it back after two years, revamping it as “Criminal Minds: Evolution.” The original series follows the adventures of criminal profilers working for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). The unit is tasked with investigating crimes and finding the unknown subject of various cases.
Since its inception, there have been some significant cast and character changes. Here are some of the original cast members, their time with the show, and the characters they played.
The Original Cast of “Criminal Minds”
Mandy Patinkin as Jason Gideon
Mandy Patinkin led “Criminal Minds” for two seasons as FBI Senior Supervisory Special Agent Jason Gideon. However, Jason begins to feel burnt out. Then, when serial killer Frank Breitkopf murders his girlfriend, Sarah, the guilt becomes too much, and he leaves the unit. His final episode saw him write a letter to Dr Spencer Reid, which he left alongside his gun and badge.
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Jason was later killed off-screen in season two by a suspect from one of his first cases. However, it had to happen as Patinkin had decided to leave the “Criminal Minds” cast after two years in 2007. The decision shocked his fans and the show’s creators.
After several years, Patinkin shared the reason behind his exit, telling New York Magazine that the show “was very destructive” for his soul and personality.
“The biggest public mistake I ever made was that I chose to do ‘Criminal Minds’ in the first place,” the 71-year-old said. “I thought it was something very different. I never thought they were going to kill and rape all these women every night, every day, week after week, year after year.”
Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner
Thomas Gibson played Aaron Hotchner, the FBI Supervisory Special Agent and Unit Chief of the BAU, who oversees the agents and the cases they handle. Gibson’s unbecoming on-set behavior led to the character’s writing out.
In 2010, the actor was accused of pushing the assistant director on set but was allowed to continue working on the show once he completed anger management classes. Unfortunately, in 2016, during season 12, he was fired when he kicked a co-executive producer in the shin during a heated argument.
Lola Glaudini as Elle Greenaway
Elle Greenaway was the BAU’s expert in sexual offense crimes. In the middle of season two, during a stakeout, Elle murders a suspect in cold blood and fixes the scene to look like a suicide.
However, Jason and Aaron doubt the story, and she turns in her badge and gun to the pair, leaving the unit for good.
Shemar Moore as Derek Morgan
Derek Morgan, played by Shemar Moore, is a popular character on the show. He is a confident and assured man who was a police officer in Chicago before applying for the FBI and BAU.
Moore, 54, spent eleven years portraying Morgan and left the series on good terms, having decided that it was time for him to move on. The writers wrote out his character by having him leave BAU after his pregnant wife Savannah was shot, and he makes the call to say goodbye to the team, not wanting ever to put his family through the trauma again.
After exiting the show, Shemar Moore went on to star in “S.W.A.T,” also on CBS.
Matthew Gray Gubler as Dr. Spencer Reid
Gubler, 44, played Dr. Spencer Reid from the beginning. When the show ended in 2020, he was seen recovering in a hospital after a fall. However, he decided not to return for the rebooted new seasons, much to the disappointment of fans and his co-stars.
AJ Cook as Jennifer “JJ” Jareau
JJ was the team’s communications liaison, working with local police agencies and often determining which cases the BAU picked up. In season six, JJ leaves the team after taking a role at the Pentagon, but in reality, CBS dismissed her in a cost-cutting move, giving two episodes to wrap up her storyline.
Cook made a comeback in season seven after pushback from fans, but her role was as an FBI Supervisory Special Agent. She also returned for the new series in 2022, and her real-life sons played her boys in the show.
Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia
Penelope Garcia was a teenage hacker offered a job with the BAU and the FBI over jail time. Kirsten Vangsness, 51, helped write four episodes, including the season 15 series finale. She remains among the cast even now.
Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss
Paget Brewster joined the series in season three, but her character was killed off in season six. It coincided with CBS’ decision to let go of Brewster and co-star AJ Cook over what they claimed were cost-cutting measures.
Later on, Brewster alleged that the network was “not particularly kind to women,” and eventually, she was rehired in season seven amid outrage.
She left at the end of season seven when her character moved to London to work for Interpol but returned permanently in season 12 after the dismissal of Thomas Gibson. Emily Prentiss is now hired as Unit Chief and has resumed that position now.
Joe Mantegna as David Rossi
Joe Mantegna joined “Criminal Minds” in season three as Senior Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi, brought in to replace Jason Gideon. He returned for the rebooted series and continues to play a starring role.
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Is Spencer Reid Going To Be in Criminal Minds: Evolution?
Spencer Reid, played by Matthew Gray Gubler, is not currently part of the cast of “Criminal Minds: Evolution” and has not appeared in any series episodes. The show has explained that he is currently on a sabbatical, which means he is not actively part of the BAU team at this time.
Why Did JJ’s Actor Leave Criminal Minds?
After about six seasons, AJ Cook left the series as JJ left the team to work at the Pentagon. CBS reportedly didn’t renew Cook’s contract because of financial constraints, but she returned to the show amid media backlash in season 7. She remains with the franchise in “Criminal Minds: Evolution.”
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