'Criminal Minds' Cast: Where Are They Now?

Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia

Kirsten Vangsness, who played eccentric tech analyst and communications liaison Penelope Garcia, was on Criminal Minds for seasons 1 through 15 and was the only cast member to also appear on both of the series' spin-offs, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviors. She was also one of several original cast members to join the Paramount+ reboot, which premiered in November 2022.

Penelope served as a key member of the crime-fighting team but also provided some much-needed comedic relief, particularly in her ongoing flirtation with Derek Morgan (played by Shemar Moore).

Vangsness told E! the show was a "wonderful, joyous, friendly and creative experience."

In addition to starring on Criminal Minds, Vangsness also appeared in 2011's The Chicago 8 and 2015's Kill Me, Deadly.

Vangsness got engaged to actor and writer Keith Hanson in 2022.

Matthew Gray Gubler as Spencer Reid

Matthew Gray Gubler starred as Dr. Spencer Reid — the socially awkward boy genius of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) — since the premiere of Criminal Minds in 2005 and remained a major player on the series for all 15 seasons, down to the final episode in 2020. Over the years, Gubler's Reid became one of the most beloved characters in the series. In 2015, the actor told Glamour it was "a real honor" to be on the long-running show.

"It's so bizarre it has been on for so long because in no way, shape or form does it feel like that. It still feels like day two," Gubler said. "'Family' is the only thing I can think of to sum it up."

However, Gubler did not join his former castmates on the Paramount+ reboot.

In addition to his role on Criminal Minds, Gubler has appeared in many movies, including RV (2006), (500) Days of Summer (2009), Life After Beth (2014) and Zoe (2018) and has voiced Simon in four Alvin and the Chipmunks movies. He also starred on the Hulu series Dollface.

A.J. Cook as Jennifer Jareau

A.J. Cook was just 27 when the show premiered in 2005, and she remained on it through season 15 as special agent Jennifer Jareau a.k.a. "JJ."

The Canadian actress was also pregnant with her first child during season 3. Cook also joined the series reboot Evolution on Paramount+. In an interview with TVLine in 2020, Cook said the series finale was "nostalgic."

"The way to really put it in perspective is that we all went to kindergarten together, and now we've graduated high school," she said. "It's like we're going off to college, and to wrap up as best you can all the experiences we had in that amount of time is a tough thing to do."

Since starring on Criminal Minds, Cook has appeared on episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and 9-1-1 and appeared in films like Least Among Saints (2012) and Mother's Day (2016).

Cook and her husband, Nathan Andersen, have two children.

Joe Mantegna as David Rossi

Joe Mantegna's David Rossi joined Criminal Minds during season 3, and his character quickly took on a father figure role among the group of FBI agents. Mantegna posted on Twitter after filming his final scene for the show in May 2019, calling the series a "truly wonderful experience."

"I will miss playing David Rossi, and I'll miss the wonderful writing that brought him to life, but mostly I will miss seeing my fellow cast mates and our fantastic crew every day," the actor wrote. "It may seem a cliché to say we're like family, but it's so very true."

He didn't have to miss playing Rossi for long since Mantegna was one of the cast members to return for the Paramount+ reboot.

After the final episode of Criminal Minds, Mantegna starred on the Prime Video series As We See It and appeared as himself on HBO's Barry. Of course, Mantegna has continued to voice the character Fat Tony on The Simpsons, a role he has enjoyed since 1991.

Mantegna has been married to Arlene Vrhel since 1975. They have two daughters, Gia and Mia.

Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner

Thomas Gibson played troubled workaholic Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner for seasons 1 through 12. Gibson was fired from the show following a physical altercation on set.

"I feel like it took years to make a good reputation and a minute to damage it," the actor told PEOPLE in 2016 of the incident, which involved a disagreement between him and writer-producer Virgil Williams.

"My pride and reputation are hurt, but in the end I know the good work is what people will remember," he said. "I just need more opportunities to do good work and be a good guy."

Gibson has acted sparingly since being fired from Criminal Minds. He appeared in the 2019 made-for-TV movie Shadow Wolves.

Gibson has three children with his ex-wife, Christine.

Shemar Moore as Derek Morgan

Shemar Moore played heartthrob Derek Morgan for seasons 1 through 11 and appeared as a guest during seasons 12 and 13. Fans lamented Moore's departure from the show, but the actor said he was seeking more "balance" in his life in a 2016 interview with TVLine: "I love what I do for a living, I love it from 'action' to 'cut,' but I also want to walk my dogs, travel, get married, have kids."

Moore has since starred on the CBS procedural S.W.A.T. as a L.A.-based lieutenant. He has also made returns to The Young and the Restless, the soap opera that launched his career and earned him an Emmy in 2000 for outstanding supporting actor. He regularly voices the DC Comics character Cyborg in the Justice League animated movies.

Moore and girlfriend Jesiree Dizon welcomed their daughter Frankie on Jan. 24, 2023, just weeks after Moore announced the news on The Jennifer Hudson Show.

Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss

Paget Brewster's character, special agent Emily Prentiss, had a wild ride on Criminal Minds. Brewster joined the series during season 2 and appeared through season 7. She then took a break from the CBS show when her character left the BAU for a job at Interpol.

After several guest appearances in the years following, Brewster returned for season 12 as a series regular and stayed on through the show's end. She rejoined the series for the Paramount+ reboot.

Beyond Criminal Minds, Brewster has had a lot of acting work, including roles on Community, Another Period and Grandfathered. She is also an accomplished voice actress and can be heard on American Dad!, Adventure Time, Family Guy, DuckTales and Birdgirl.

In November 2014, Brewster married musician Steve Damstra.

Aisha Tyler as Tara Lewis

Aisha Tyler appeared as Dr. Tara Lewis for seasons 11 through 15 of Criminal Minds. The actress, who spent six years as a host on The Talk, has also directed several episodes of the crime drama.

"It's bittersweet that Criminal Minds is coming to an end," Tyler told Parade in 2019. "But I'm grateful that, unlike some shows, we were given the time to plan a proper series finale. We are all trying to savor our last moments on set."

Tyler returned to Criminal Minds for the Paramount+ reboot. She also voiced Lana Kane on Archer and hosted Whose Line Is It Anyway? and her own talk show, Unapologetic with Aisha Tyler.

Since the series finale, Tyler voiced the animated character Millie on the Disney+ series Monsters at Work and appeared on Fear the Walking Dead and The Boys.

Adam Rodriguez as Luke Alvez

Adam Rodriguez began playing Luke Alvez, a special agent in training, on season 12. But Rodriguez had some experience playing a member of law enforcement before he joined the cast of Criminal Minds, having played Eric Delko on 10 seasons of CSI: Miami. He also returned to Criminal Minds for the Paramount+ reboot.

The actor starred alongside Channing Tatum in Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL and has appeared on Ugly Betty, Jane the Virgin, Empire, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels and Ordinary Joe.

In 2016, Rodriguez married model Grace Gail. They have three children.

Daniel Henney as Matt Simmons

Daniel Henney appeared on both Criminal Minds and its spin-off, Beyond Borders. He joined the show in 2015 to play special agent Matt Simmons. Henney began his career as a model in Korea and made his U.S. acting debut in the 2009 film X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

The actor stayed on Criminal Minds through the final season, though he did not return for the reboot.

Henney also voiced the character Tadashi in the Disney film Big Hero 6 and its TV spin-off, Big Hero 6: The Series, and has starred on the 2021 Prime Video series The Wheel of Time.

Mandy Patinkin as Jason Gideon

Mandy Patinkin served as the original show lead on seasons 1 and 2 but left suddenly before season 3. Patinkin played special agent Jason Gideon, who retired from the BAU following the death of his girlfriend.

Since leaving the show, Patinkin has acted in several films and went on to star as Saul Berenson on Homeland from 2011 to 2020. He also was a cast member on season 5 of The Good Fight.

Patinkin has been married to actress Kathryn Grody since 1980, and they share two sons — Isaac and Gideon.

Lola Glaudini as Elle Greenaway

Glaudini only stuck around for the first season of Criminal Minds, playing Elle Greenaway, who ended up in a shoot-out on her final episode. In real life, The Sopranos actress reportedly left because she wanted to move back to the East Coast from Los Angeles.

Since then, Glaudini has appeared on the Marvel series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC. Her other TV credits include Blue Bloods, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Person of Interest, Revenge, The Expanse and Ray Donovan.

She is married to Stuart England, with whom she has two sons.