There is a lot that goes on behind the cameras on the set of Criminal Minds.
So now that the show has ended, we thought we would dive into the things that go on with the actors and the production crew.
Let us know what your favorite fact is in the comments at the end of the article!
At first, Mandy Patinkin was the star of the show.
Then, out of nowhere, he left in Season 3. No one knew why, not even the executive producers, the writers, or his fellow cast members.
“The biggest public mistake I ever made was that I chose to do Criminal Minds in the first place. 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. It was very destructive to my soul and my personality."
He concluded, "Audiences all over the world use this programming as their bedtime story. This isn’t what you need to be dreaming about.”
Who are the people behind the mugshots in the intro?
Well, you may have expected this, but real-life criminals. Big-time criminals, too. People like Ted Bundy, Jefferey Dahmer, and John Wayne Gacy.
As fans, we assume that all the episodes in a season are done by the time it comes out.
This isn't the case for Criminal Minds. They were, at most, three episodes ahead at all times.
We all know that Thomas Gibson (aka Aaron Hotchner) left the show in Season 12.
He was actually kicked off, and it was because he got into a physical altercation with one of the producers.
It was actually by a person who guest starred on the show, none other than Keith Tisdell (the guy who played Rodney Harris in Season 8).
After his guest appearance, Rodney Harris and Shemar Moore became friends.
The charity raises money for multiple sclerosis research, and while Harris was with the company he stole more than $60,000 from it and Moore.
On ridiculous things, too: $10,000 rims, $20,000 vacations, and a bunch of loans.
Remember when Dr. Spencer Reid had that leg injury in the fifth season (he was shot)?
They wrote that in because Matthew Gray Gubler actually injured his leg having a dance-off with his co-stars in 500 Days Of Summer.
It took three surgeries before he was even able to walk with a cane, and five months to walk without it!
Now that is some dedication to the craft!
After filming the first show, Gibson said this about it:
"The whole experience was unusual to say the least – the writer was fired and I remember watching an early cut of an episode thinking ‘that was fun to do, but I’m going to have to find another job.'”
Damon Gupton, who played Stephen Walker for one season, was hired because the network wanted him on the show.
So they create this new character for him, put him on, and then the network decided to fire him a season later because of a "creative change on the show.”
Criminal Minds has actually spawned two spinoffs.
The first, Suspect Behavior, ran for one season and was canceled due to low ratings.
The second, Beyond Borders, ran for two seasons and was canceled due to, you guessed it, low ratings.
Believe it or not, but one of the hardest parts of the show is lighting it.
There's an average of 12 people or more on the crew at all times, and it takes massive amounts of power to make each scene look as realistic as possible.
Man, a lot of people have left this show.
Lola Glaudini (the woman who played Elle Greenaway) left because she didn't like living in L.A. and wanted to return to her home town of New York City.
Here's a piece of Criminal Minds trivia for you: Who are the only two cast members who have been on since the show started?
If you guessed Matthew Gray Gubler And Kirsten Vangsness, then you're right!
"They said go home, shut the door, take a shower and play with your kids. If you don’t, you don’t survive," she explained.
Thomas Gibson has said that his first day on set with Mandy Patinkin was tense.
He has since admitted that the actor is "a little hard to work with."
Obviously, doing a show about such dark content can take its toll on the actors.
One of the ways they keep things light is by using the names of real-life staff for the names of victims as a joke.
During filming, Paget has confessed to stashing items in her boots. What types of items, you may be wondering.
Oh, ya know, just things like cigarettes and her cell phone, and sometimes, a whole episode script!
True Matthew fans may have noticed that the actor never wears matching socks, and this whacky tradition continued on the Criminal Minds set.
How fun is that?!
While filming a scene in The Life Aquatic, Matthew can be seen wearing matching socks for a split second. In a bizarre twist, that day on set Matthew sprained his ankle! Go figure!
