Check Out How Much The Cast Of Criminal Minds Have Changed Over The Years

Daniel Henney (Matt Simmons)

Before he joined the cast of Criminal Minds, Daniel Henney first appeared in a spinoff called Beyond Borders. He snagged the part of Matt Simons, who is an army veteran and Special Operations Agent. He did not waste time getting new gigs when the show came to an end. He went on to work on The Wheel of Time, as well as a film called Confidential Assignment.

Daniel Henney (Matt Simmons)

A.J. Cook (Jennifer Jareau)

It is not a stretch to say that A.J. Cook had an eventful time on the set of Criminal Minds as Jennifer “JJ” Jareau. She began as the media liaison of the team and later became a field agent, wife, mom, and kidnapping victim. Even though she left in the sixth season, she was always a hit among the fans. After her contract was dropped, the actress took the chance to enjoy time away from the limelight.

A.J. Cook (Jennifer Jareau)

Kirsten Vangsness (Penelope Garcia)

Without a doubt, Kirsten Vangsness is one of the biggest stars of the show. After all, she is the only cast member to appear in both Criminal Minds and the spinoffs. She is best known for playing Penelope Garcia, the vegan feminist technical analyst on the team. It might come as a surprise that her career has slowed down. Her only movie credit since then is for a short film called Curtains.

Kirsten Vangsness (Penelope Garcia)

Lola Glaudini (Elle Greenway)

After the second season of the show, Lola Glaudini left the project. Despite this, she made an impression during her short time on Criminal Minds. Elle Greenway, her character, was assaulted by a suspect, went through a breakdown, and shot a perp to death. The last incident caused her to leave the force. The actress has appeared on many other TV shows after she left the set.

Lola Glaudini (Elle Greenway)

Shemar Moore (Derek Morgan)

After spending 13 seasons in the role of Derek Morgan, Shemar Moore left the show. This is not the first time that he had a long stint like this one. He once played Malcolm Winter on The Young and the Restless for 441 episodes. On top of that, he also brought Daniel Harrelson to life for four seasons of S.W.A.T.. As a matter of fact, the latter role was said to have played a key role in his departure from Criminal Minds.

Shemar Moore (Derek Morgan)

Aisha Tyler (Dr. Tara Lewis)

This actress was a new addition to the team compared to the other veterans. In fact, Aisha Tyler only joined the cast in the eleventh season. Despite this, Dr. Tara Lewis was a hit among the viewers. Around the same time, she was a The Talk panelist, an Archer voice actress, and Whose Line Is It Anyway? host. After the CBS police procedural came to an end, she also went on to work on movies such as Friendsgiving and Bad Therapy.

Aisha Tyler (Dr. Tara Lewis)

Jayne Atkinson (Erin Strauss)

You might know Jayne Atkinson for the time that she spent in the Law and Order series. In 2007, she added Criminal Minds to her resume by playing Erin Strauss, the BAU Section Chief that appeared in the first eight seasons of the show. In 2014, she left and scored recurring parts in Madam Secretary and Bluff City Law. She returned to the show for the finale.

Jayne Atkinson (Erin Strauss)

Adam Rodriguez (Luke Alvez)

When Shemar Moore left the show, Adam Rodriguez helped fill the void that he left. The actor was an instant fan favorite in the role of Luke Alvez, who is an FBI Fugitive Task Force Agent. Aside from that, he is a familiar face to people who watched One Day at a Time and Penny Dreadful.

Adam Rodriguez (Luke Alvez)

Jeanne Tripplehorn (Dr. Alex Blake)

Dr. Alex Blake is a linguistics expert on the show. For three seasons, this character was played by Jeanne Tripplehorn. The character retired earlier in the timeline but decided to leave the force for good after a near-death experience on the job. The actress went on a break after she left the set, but she eventually made a comeback by starring in We Only Know So Much and Gloria Bell.

Jeanne Tripplehorn (Dr. Alex Blake)

Joe Mantegna (David Rossi)

In the third season of the show, we were introduced to David Rossi. The profiler was played by none other than Joe Mantegna and became a big part of Criminal Minds. Later on, the actor was cast to lend his voice to Fat Tony on The Simpsons. In 2020, he also appeared in Rolling Thunder. What is so interesting about this movie was that it was shot in only 24 hours.

Joe Mantegna (David Rossi)

Rachel Nichols (Ashley Seaver)

We only saw Rachael Nichols in the role of Ashley Seaver for just one year. The character was an FBI cadet born to a serial killer dad. She was transferred to a task force that dealt with domestic trafficking towards the end of the sixth season. The actress went on to play Angela Roth in Titans. Aside from that, she also became a part of the cast of The Man in the High Castle in 2019.

Rachel Nichols (Ashley Seaver)

Jennifer Love Hewitt (Kate Callahan)

There is no doubt that Jennifer Love Hewitt was one of the most famous figures to join the world of Criminal Minds. She was only in one season of the show in the role of Kate Callahan. It was a short stint, but it was eventful. Her character was heavily pregnant when she nearly got human trafficked! The actress went quiet after this gig, but she did make a comeback in 9-1-1.

Jennifer Love Hewitt (Kate Callahan)

Mandy Patinkin (Jason Gideon)

Here is yet another big name who joined the early seasons of the show. Best known for starring in Chicago Hope, the actor hung up his gloves during the third season. He just decided that he no longer wanted to play Jason Gideon and stopped going to work. Later on, he informed TV Guide that it was “destructive to [my] soul.” We are just glad that he found something more suitable for him in Homeland. Aside from that, he was also in Life Itself and Wonder.

Mandy Patinkin (Jason Gideon)

Damon Gupton (Stephen Walker)

There are fans of the show who have yet to get over the death of Stephen Walker, who was portrayed by Damon Gupton. The special agent met his demise in the only season he appeared in due to a car accident that Mr. Scratch organized. After the untimely death of the character, Gupton landed recurring roles in Dirty John and Black Lightning. He played Bill Henderson in the latter.

Damon Gupton (Stephen Walker)

Nicholas Brendon (Kevin Lynch)

Most folks know Nicholas Brendan for his portrayal of Xander in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. You might have also seen him in the first seven seasons of Crminal Minds since he played Kevin Lynch, the hacker boyfriend of Penelope. The actor starred in The Nanny, King of Crime, and Redwood. In 2020, however, the actor found himself in legal hot water and received a sentence of three-year probation following an assault. Yikes.

Nicholas Brendon (Kevin Lynch)

Brian Appel (Grant Anderson)

For eighteen episodes, Brian Appel played Agent Grant Anderson on the show. You will now find him behind the camera instead of in front of it as he mostly works as a reality TV show producer. He has since worked on Love & Listings and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Brian Appel (Grant Anderson)

Josh Stewart (William LaMontagne Jr.)

For eighteen episodes of the show, Josh Stewart played Det. William La Montagne Jr, the other half of JJ. We are sure that Josh Stewart enjoyed working in front of the camera with A.J. Cook! He went on to cast her in Back Fork, his directorial work. It is an indie drama that takes place in West Virginia and tackles the opioid epidemic.

Josh Stewart (William LaMontagne Jr.)

Matthew Gray Gubler (Spencer Reid)

Did you know that Matthew Gray Gubler was in more episodes of the show than anyone else? You must already know that he played Dr. Spencer Reid, the Supervisory Special Agent of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Over the course of the show, he appeared 323 times! He has since bid adieu to the part that he played for most of his adulthood. He went on to star in Dollface and Horse Girl.

Matthew Gray Gubler (Spencer Reid)

Criminal Minds ran for a whopping 15 years (2005-2020), and naturally with such a long period and such a large cast, secrets and controversy occurred often on the set…

A Lot Has Since Changed

The show was on the air for a long time, so it should not come as a surprise to see how different they now look. After all, the cast members spent years on the set of the show. As you can imagine, there are plenty of secrets on the set. The producers would prefer it if you did not know most of them!

A Lot Has Since Changed

The Scripts Are Not Easy For The Cast To Read

Let us just say that the show is not known for its restraint. This is something that the cast members know best. “We will always find new ways to kill people,” A.J. Cook revealed to Real Style Network in 2012. She added, “Sometimes I leave those read-throughs a little nauseous. It’s hard.” We know for sure that this will only make the show more entertaining though!

The Scripts Are Not Easy For The Cast To Read

Mandy Patinkin Said That It Was “Destructive” For Him

In the first three seasons of the police procedural, Mandy Patinkin played Jason Gideon. All of a sudden, he decided to leave the project. He had enough of the grim content of the show. In 2012, he shared this with New York magazine: “It was very destructive to my soul and my personality.”

Mandy Patinkin Said That It Was “Destructive” For Him

The Actresses Allegedly Earned Less Than The Actors

Sadly, the gender wage gap continues to plague most fields. We are sad to inform you that the TV industry is not an exception to the rule. In 2013, reports said that A.J. Cook and Kirsten Vangsness were thinking of leaving the show unless they started to get as much money as the male members of the cast.

The Actresses Allegedly Earned Less Than The Actors

Thomas Gibson Fell Victim To Catfishing

On the show, Thomas Gibson brought Aaron Hotchner to life. The actor brought a lot of controversy to the set of the show. In 2013, word got out that he had been catfished by someone pretending to be his fan. He even sent her sexy videos as well. At the time, he was still married to his wife. Oops.

Thomas Gibson Fell Victim To Catfishing

You Can See Real Serial Killers In The Opening Credits

The opening credits of the show were made to be an unsettling montage. If you take a good look at the background, you are going to find mugshots of actual murderers! To be specific, you might be able to find Lee Harvey Oswald, Charles Manson, and John Wayne Gacy if you are observant enough.

You Can See Real Serial Killers In The Opening Credits

There Is A Reference To The Departure Of Mandy Patinkin

When Mandy Patinkin made up his mind to leave the show, Joe Mantegna stepped in to replace him. The first time that his character is introduced, we see him firing at a duck. This is actually a nod to the fact that Patinkin’s character loves birds. In 2014, an executive producer by the name of Breen Frazier only told Buzzfeed, “You do the math.”

There Is A Reference To The Departure Of Mandy Patinkin

One Of The Writers Played A Victim In An Episode

Wil Wheaton, best known for starring in Star Trek: The Next Generation< played a murderer on the show. Rick Dunkle, one of the writers, was in cloud nine as he is a huge fan. He asked to be involved and got cast as the victim. Despite this, Dunkle was thrilled that he got to do it.

One Of The Writers Played A Victim In An Episode

A.J. Cook Agreed To Be Waterboarded For A Scene

In the 200th episode of the show, JJ gets tortured. This is not only pretend, however. A.J. Cook actually went through the real thing to a certain extend. She was indeed chained up and even agreed to undergo a horrible torture technique called waterboarding. This was done to make that scene more realistic.

A.J. Cook Agreed To Be Waterboarded For A Scene

The Show Drew A Lot Of Inspiration From Factual Cases

There are times that the show looked at the news for new plotlines. As a matter of fact, plenty of episodes were based on actual cases. Yep, this includes a lot of very disturbing real-life crimes. Of course, the writers had to take it upon themselves to embellish the stories a fair amount.

The Show Drew A Lot Of Inspiration From Factual Cases

Two Major Actresses Were Not Treated Well

In 2010, the network made the hard call to give A.J. Cook the ax and reduce the screen time for Paget Brewster. Both actresses were hurt by this, while their fans and co-stars were furious. This is the reason a petition came out. The stars of the show signed it, as did other iconic people in the industry.

Two Major Actresses Were Not Treated Well

A Guest Actor Stole From Shemar Moore

In 2013, actor Shemar Moore became good friends with one of the guest actors on the show. As a matter of fact, Moore even offered Keith Tisdell to work at his own business, Baby Girl Inc. The company donates part of its earnings to an MS charity. Sadly, the guest actor went on to steal more than $60,000 from the business. Luckily, the courts are not lenient on folks who steal from charities. In the end, Tisdell was found guilty of felony grand theft. He was also ordered to return the funds.

A Guest Actor Stole From Shemar Moore

Thomas Gibson Got Fired For Kicking A Writer

Until July 2016, Thomas Gibson had a key role in the show. Things changed when his anger issues got the best of him. To be specific, he had a quarrel with one of the writers. The actor kicked the other man in the shin! This is how he got fired from the show, leading his character to be written out.

Thomas Gibson Got Fired For Kicking A Writer

The Real FBI Is Involved On The Set Of The Show

You might be surprised to hear that the cast members got help from the FBI before they started taping. In 2013, Jeanne Tripplehorn said as much when she spoke to The West Australian. “About a week before we start shooting, they have all the writers gather and they bring in people from the FBI to talk to them,” explained the actress. The presentations were not pleasant and left many of them feeling sick.

The Real FBI Is Involved On The Set Of The Show

The Casting Director Was Fired After A Controversy

Let us just say that Criminal Minds did not have a good time in 2016. Not only was Thomas Gibson fired that year, but the producers also axed Scott David. It was revealed that the casting director was holding a “casting workshop” that charged prospective actors for the chance to try out for a role.

The Casting Director Was Fired After A Controversy

The Show Brought Home A Human Rights Award

The police procedural received an Award for Excellence in Television courtesy of Human Rights First in October 2007. You might be surprised to hear this, but it was awarded due to the “Lesson Learned” episode. In it, non-violent interrogation techniques are shown to be more effective than violence.

The Show Brought Home A Human Rights Award

Paget Brewster Is Not A Big Fan Of CBS

Paget Brewster was jerked around by the network a lot. Despite this, she eventually came back to the show to play Prentiss. However, she was not happy and held a grudge. In October 2015, she got to talk about it with The AV Club. The actress called CBS “scummy,” which definitely can’t be good.

Paget Brewster Is Not A Big Fan Of CBS

The Real Deal Between Shemar Moore And Thomas Gibson

When Thomas Gibson got the ax, Shemar Moore was no longer working on the show. When word got out, he uploaded a video said to be aimed at this co-star. In it, he talked about karma. People wondered if this meant that the two had a fight. Moore denied this, but this did not put a stop to the rumors.

The Real Deal Between Shemar Moore And Thomas Gibson

What Jeanne Tripplehorn Had To Say About Mandy Patinkin

It sounds like Jeanne Tripplehorn was not at all impressed by the way Mandy Patinkin criticized the heavy violence in the show. In 2014, the actress talked to Fox News and said, “I think it’s really funny that people are giving [his view] any kind of attention.” Even so, she left the show under curious circumstances before that year came to an end.

What Jeanne Tripplehorn Had To Say About Mandy Patinkin

The Show Was Blamed For A Terrible Crime In Real Life

In 2012, a little boy hailing from California testified in court that he did not think that he would get punished for shooting his neo-Nazi dad to death. After all, something like this took place in Criminal Minds. The ten-year-old child said, “A bad father did something to his kids and the kid did the exact same thing I did.”

The Show Was Blamed For A Terrible Crime In Real Life

What The TV Show Has Done To The Cast And Crew

Over the course of the show, Criminal Minds researchers and producers became familiar with how crime works. As a matter of fact, it is not a stretch to say that the members of the cast got a bit paranoid. For one thing, Rick Dunkle got a dog to keep him safe during a home invasion. There are other folks who went further than that. For one thing, some of them installed bulletproof windows in their homes!

What The TV Show Has Done To The Cast And Crew

We love discovering the secrets that happened on shows, or as a result of a television show. The best thing is the unpredictability! Sometimes some of the scenes you sit and watch at home are completely unscripted. Often the actors can get so into the scene that they really assume the role of that character, and it can lead to some interesting unexpected improvisation. Some of our favorites including unscripted on-screen kisses! Discover some of the best from the biggest films and tv series of all time.

Top Gun

In Top Gun, we have Kelly McGillis playing Charlie and Tom Cruise playing Maverick. She was telling him that she wants to keep her feelings for him a secret when he interrupts her with a kiss! This sweet moment defined the relationship between the characters, but it was not in the original script.

Top Gun

Supposed To End With A Conversation

The truth is that their conversation was meant to serve as a conclusion of sorts. However, the actor forgot the lines he was supposed to deliver. Instead of starting over, he simply went in for a kiss! In the end, the director liked this more than the original plan. This was the reason it made it to the final edit.

Supposed To End With A Conversation

Stranger Things

In the second season of Stranger Things, we were introduced to a teen romance between Lucas and Max, played by Caleb McLaughlin and Sadie Sink respectively. Towards the end of the season, the rowdy teenagers affirm their feelings for each other by sharing a sweet little smooch.

Stranger Things

Uncomfortable But Not Pressured Into It

Sadly, the story is not that simple. Even though the original script did not call for a kiss between the two actors, the showrunners suggested that they have a kiss. Apparently, the thought of this was making Sink so stressed out that they added it. According to the showrunners, it was her fault that they added the kiss. As you can imagine, fans did not approve of this. However, Sink eventually said that even though she felt uncomfortable, she did not feel pushed into doing it.

Uncomfortable But Not Pressured Into It

Lost In Translation

Lost in Translation stars an aging Hollywood star called Bob Harris and a young woman called Charlotte. We watched as Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson brought these characters to life in Tokyo! At the end of the movie, he bids her goodbye in a touching moment that came with a kiss.

Lost In Translation

He Did Not Tell Her

In reality, the actress did not have any idea that her costar was going to lean in for a kiss. After all, it was not part of the script! Bill Murray, out of the blue, decided to add the peck. Sofia Coppola, the director, loved this addition. One might even say that the reaction of Scarlett Johansson only made it better.

He Did Not Tell Her

The Office

It is not a secret that there are plenty of improvised scenes in The Office. However, one of the most shocking moments in the sitcom would be the kiss between Michael Scott and Oscar Martinez! After learning that Oscar is a gay man, Michael wanted to show that he was a very tolerant person.

The Office

He Stayed In Character All Throughout

In an attempt to show that he was an ally, actor Scott Carrell kissed Oscar Nunez on the lips. According to Nunez, they were only meant to share an embrace in that scene. However, Carrell wanted to step it up a notch. When Nunez realized that his costar was going in for a kiss, he did his best to remain in character throughout the funny smooch!

He Stayed In Character All Throughout

Edge Of Tomorrow

We have Tom Cruise on the list yet again! He was Major William Cage in Edge of Tomorrow. In the film, he was trapped in a time loop and had to experience the day before his death on the battlefield over and over. As he tried to figure out how to save the world from aliens, he asks for the help of a Special Forces fighter by the name of Rita Vrataski, who was played by Emily Blunt.

Edge Of Tomorrow

Emily Blunt Took The Reins

It was true that the filmmakers wanted a kiss between the two characters. However, they had a hard time finding a scene that would be appropriate for a lip-lock. They must have been relieved when Emily Blunt decided to take things into her hands by planting a kiss on her costar! Even though it came as a surprise to everyone else, it worked out for the best.

Emily Blunt Took The Reins

Game Of Thrones

Even though the seventh season of Game of Thrones disappointed many fans, there were things that promised excitement. We are talking about the kiss between Ellaria Sand and Yara Greyjoy, played by Indira Varma and Gemma Whelan respectively. While powerful, it was actually improvised.

Game Of Thrones

With The Stunt Double Too

Even though the scene was written to have light flirting, the situation escalated quickly. The two ladies decided to just roll with it. When they worked out the kiss, Indira Varma had to kiss a stunt double as well. This made the scene flow much more smoothly in the upcoming fight against Euron Greyjoy.

With The Stunt Double Too

New Girl

Just like The Office, there are plenty of improvised scenes in New Girl. In the same vein, one kissing scene was performed off-the-cuff! It was the one between Schmidt, played by Max Greenfield, and Nick, played by Jake Johnson.

New Girl

It Was Not Anything New

According to Johnson, Greenfield usually kisses him. As a matter of fact, his costar does it more than any girl he has ever dated! During the first season, one such improvised kiss was added to the final edit. After learning that Nick was suffering from a medical condition, Schmidt flies into a frenzy and then kisses his friend on the mouth! Greenfield has said that Johnson did not always like these impromptu kisses but learned that he should expect them.

It Was Not Anything New

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Do you remember the scene in which Luke had to say goodbye to Leia Fisher in Star Wars: The Last Jedi? Before Mark Hamill walks away, he leaves a kiss on the forehead of Carrie Fisher. The actor said that this was actually a genuine gesture that he acted on at the right moment.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

It Is Too Much For Him To Watch

As Mark Hamill was thinking about how Luke was biding her goodbye forever, he felt a surge of emotion. After all, he had been playing this character for a long time already. The actress died prior to the release of the film, which is the reason the actor could no longer watch this scene thanks to the strength of his emotions.

It Is Too Much For Him To Watch

Jurassic World

If you watched Jurassic World, you must recall the smooth between Owen Grady and Claire Dearing. Even though the script did not call for a kiss between Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, it was planned out beforehand. The only person who was surprised by this was the actress.

Jurassic World

She Was Not Informed

On the last day of taping, the director asked Chris Pratt to maybe kiss his costar for the final take. However, they did not give Howard a heads up about it. As a matter of fact, the plan was to surprise her with a kiss! The kiss was performed in front of 200 audience members and made it to the final cut of the film.

She Was Not Informed

Room With A View

A long time before Helena Bonham Carter brought Princess Margaret to life in The Crown, she first played Lucy Honeychurch in a film called Room With A View. As the character was talking to a new friend called George, they share a kiss. The actor was portrayed by Julian Sands.

Room With A View

The Kiss Was Improvised And Awkward

At the age of 18, the actress did not have a lot of kissing experience under her belt. Even though she was surprised to hear this suggestion from the production crew, she rolled with it. If you watch the film, you should know that the kiss was totally improvised. According to Carter, it was also a bit awkward.

The Kiss Was Improvised And Awkward

Paget Brewster (Emily Prentiss)

Emily Prentiss worked at the Behavioral Analysis Unit for a pretty long arc on the show. She went on to replace Hotch as the chief of the unit as well. While actress Paget Brewster was working on the show, she voiced characters in animated shows like American Dad, Bojack Horseman, and the DuckTales revival. When the show ended, she played Tallulah Bankhead in Hollywood.

Paget Brewster (Emily Prentiss)