Criminal Minds is a long-running police procedural crime drama that has dominated the CBS network for over a decade. The show follows an elite squad of FBI profilers known as the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) working in Quantico, Virginia as they track down and capture the country’s most twisted criminals, known as unsubs, or unknown subjects. The show premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and ended almost 15 years later on February 19, 2020, after 15 successful seasons and 324 episodes. However, the show was revived in 2022 with season 16, titled Criminal Minds: Evolution, and the second half of the season just began on January 12.
Many things made this show successfully stand out from the many other police procedural dramas on the market. First, the show had many high-profile (pun intended) guest stars, including Mark Hamill, Tim Curry, and Elle Fanning. Second, and perhaps one of the best things about the show, is the family-like atmosphere that the team has for one another. That’s because the actors are close both on and off-screen, and when the chemistry is strong among the cast it shows and bleeds into their characters.
However, throughout the show’s many seasons, there have been several actors who have come and gone for one reason or another. So, it’s best not to get too attached to one character in Criminal Minds, as their time may be limited. Here are all the actors who quit or were fired, and the reasons behind the decisions.
Lola Glaudini
Lola Glaudini played one of the original cast members, Elle Greenaway, who was a Supervisory Special Agent with a focus on sexual offense crimes. Daughter of a deceased police officer killed in the line of duty, Elle Greenaway worked at the BAU for a year and a half until she left under controversy when she shot and killed an unsub after blowing her cover in a mission to arrest a serial rapist. Elle was experiencing PTSD after a previous serial killer, “The Fisher King,” broke into her house, waited for her to arrive home, shot her, then dipped his fingers into her wound to write a message on the wall for her team to find.
After blowing her cover in a serial rapist case that followed, police were forced to let the unsub walk after he didn’t confess. This led to Elle confronting him in his apartment and shooting him after he taunted and thanked her for letting him walk. Elle cited her motive as self-defense, but she later resigned, although she still stuck to her story and didn’t admit guilt. While Elle’s reasoning for leaving the BAU might have been extreme, Lola’s reasoning for leaving was because she reportedly wasn’t happy living in L.A., where the show was filmed, and wished to move back home on the East Coast.
Mandy Patinkin
Mandy Patinkin played Senior Special Agent Jason Gideon. Gideon stuck around until season three when he abruptly retired from the squad from emotional problems because of the murder of his girlfriend. Gideon was replaced by David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) and was not heard of again, until season 10 in episode 13, “Nelson’s Sparrow,” where Gideon was killed off-screen by a serial killer. His character’s quick departure was a result of Patinkin wanting to leave the show because he was uncomfortable with a lot of the show’s dark and violent subject matter and didn’t want to be a part of it anymore.
Paget Brewster
Paget Brewster plays Emily Prentiss, a longtime agent with the BAU who first joined shortly after Elle Greenaway resigned in season two. However, she resigned during season seven to accept a position with Interpol in London and was replaced by Dr. Alex Blake, who was later replaced by Kate Callahan for most of season 10. She reappeared in season 11, and accepts the former position of Unit Chief Senior Special Agent Aaron Hotchner following his sudden resignation. Brewster’s appearances on the show have been rocky and the reason behind it matches.
In a creative move, it seemed CBS wanted to keep the show fresh by replacing her and A.J. Cook with another woman, Rachel Nichols (FBI trainee Ashley Seaver). While Brewster was supposed to have left at the end of season five with an unfinished storyline, her agents managed to negotiate her back to finish her character arc.
Brewster said that getting fired left a bad taste in her mouth, and despite loving the cast and crew, her heart wasn’t in it anymore, which prompted the writers to add this line for Emily’s departure: “Since I’ve come back, I’ve realized that my heart isn’t in it, and I want to do other things.” After filming two more seasons, she left at the end of season seven, but then accepted the chance to reprise her role in season 11 and was back for good in season 12 when Thomas Gibson was fired. After a bumpy ride, it seems Paget Brewster is back as Emily Prentiss for good as she continues her work in Criminal Minds: Evolution.
A.J. Cook
As mentioned above, A.J. Cook and Paget Brewster were fired at the conclusion of season five because CBS wanted to shake things up in their female lineup and bring in a fresh new face in the form of Rachel Nichols (FBI trainee Ashley Seaver). However, A.J. Cook did appear in a few episodes of season six to finish her story before taking her leave. Her character JJ was forced to accept a position at the Pentagon as a liaison for the Department of Defense and left the BAU.
However, after playing Special Agent Jennifer Jareau “JJ” for five seasons, fans were attached to her character and were outraged that she would not be returning. So, CBS relented by firing Rachel Nichols and bringing both her and Paget Brewster back. Upon her return, JJ received training and switched jobs from former media liaison to a full-fledged profiler and field agent. Luckily for fans, A.J. Cook is here to stay and has returned as JJ in Criminal Minds: Evolution.
Rachel Nichols
When it comes to the side agents, they're unfortunately easy to be forgotten, as there have been many with a very brief run on the show. Rachel Nichols joined Criminal Minds first as a guest star in a three-episode arc that turned into a more permanent role. She was signed as a full cast member for her role as Ashley Seaver, an up-and-coming FBI trainee.
However, her addition angered many fans as she replaced A.J. Cook and Paget Brewster, fan favorites who had recently been let go from the show. So, Rachel Nichols never developed a fan following, and her character was written off by transitioning to another team that happened off-screen.
Jeanne Tripplehorn
Jeanne Tripplehorn plays another character that is easily forgettable in Criminal Minds, as her run was short-lived and only lasted two full seasons. In season eight, she joined the cast as Dr. Alex Blake, a seasoned FBI linguistics expert and professor at Georgetown. After witnessing some events that brought back memories of the death of her son, Ethan, Dr. Blake leaves and moves to Boston where she accepts a job as a full-time teacher. While her character may have experienced several bumps during her two seasons, Tripplehorn’s reasoning for leaving is simply that contract negotiations fell apart.
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt rose to fame as a teen actress and was a household name during the late 1990s and early 2000s. While she used to be an A-list actress, her performance on Criminal Minds was less than memorable. Perhaps that’s because she only lasted one season. Hewitt joined the cast in season 10 as Katherine “Kate” Callahan, an FBI agent with a background in criminal psychology. Following the death of her sister and brother-in-law in the September 11th terrorist attacks, Kate adopted her niece to live with her and her husband.
However, after her niece, Meg, is kidnapped and rescued, and Kate discovers she is pregnant, she decides to leave the bureau to care for her family. Like her character, Hewitt left Criminal Minds for maternity reasons, as she was actually pregnant with her second child and wanted to leave to spend time with her growing family.
Shemar Moore
Shemar Moore played Derek Morgan and was a huge fan favorite and friend both onscreen and off to Kirsten Vangsness who plays Penelope Garcia. Morgan and Garcia were famous in the show due to their platonic friendship but flirtatious exchanges. It was a sad day when Derek Morgan left the bureau to devote more time to his family, and received a rather emotional and glorious sendoff.
That’s because he left the show on very good terms with both CBS and the producers, and they rewarded him with a proper farewell. Unlike other actor departures, there was no behind the scenes drama. Instead, Moore said that after 11 seasons he felt that he'd explored every aspect of his character and that it was time to move on to other projects.
Thomas Gibson
Thomas Gibson played Unit Chief Senior Special Agent Aaron “Hotch” Hotchner, and was a fan favorite. His exit from the popular show was perhaps the most controversial. During filming of season 12, it was reported that Gibson was directing an episode and got into an argument with a writer on set. Tempers flared on both sides, which ended with Gibson kicking the writer. What followed was a two-episode suspension which was later changed to him being fired and removed completely from the show.
This was the second incident for Gibson, who had previously attended anger management classes. Gibson’s character Hotchner was quickly written out by having him resign from the BAU and going into hiding in the witness protection program due to his son Jack being stalked by the notorious serial killer Mr. Scratch. After Gibson left, fans were outraged and took to social media to start the campaign “No Hotch, No Watch.” However, the show continued without him and fans eventually moved on.
Damon Gupton
During season 12, things got a little crazy when CBS fired Thomas Gibson, which left a gap in the cast. Damon Gupton made a very brief appearance during this season to play Special Agent Stephen Walker, who was essentially a replacement for Gibson and had a very big void to fill.
While Gupton did the best he could with what he was given, his character never really went anywhere and tragically died as a result of a car crash in season 13, brought on by the infamous mastermind and criminal, Mr. Scratch. In reality, Gupton was cut because a Criminal Minds spinoff, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, was canceled after just one season and the network wanted to bring one of its stars, Daniel Henney, on board with the Criminal Minds cast. That meant letting Gupton go.
Matthew Gray Gubler
Matthew Gray Gubler was one of two original cast members who have been there since the beginning. His character Spencer Reid and Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) have seen a lot of people come and go in the BAU. However, Reid is now among them, as he left the team to go on classified assignments. In reality, Gray Gubler said that he isn’t interested in reprising his role in season 16 of Criminal Minds: Evolution and wants to pursue other projects.
For 15 seasons, he played Dr. Spencer “Spence” Reid, a brilliant special agent with the ability to remember nearly everything he has ever read or heard. He is also known for his analytical way of thinking and his ability to read at a rapid pace. Reid cares for his team, although he struggles with social cues and awkwardness. It’s hinted throughout the show that he may have autism spectrum disorder or Asperger’s Syndrome.
Daniel Henney
Daniel Henney was the newest member to join the cast as a series regular as Special Agent Matthew “Matt” Simmons. Previously, he was a member of the FBI’s International Response Team (in Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders) and guest starred in season 10 before joining the cast as a series regular in season 13, after the disbandment of the IRT. Simmons did not return to season 16, Criminal Minds: Evolution, as both he and Reid are on classified assignments elsewhere, and they may not return to the BAU.
However, showrunner Erica Messer said that she left the possibility of both characters returning to the show open, so we may not have seen the last of Simmons or Reid. While his time on the show may have been shorter than other fan favorites, Daniel Henney quickly gained attention with viewers praising his character work as Matt Simmons and the way he broke Asian stereotypes. Henney has been busy filming Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time and could not make the schedule work to reprise his role in Criminal Minds: Evolution.