Criminal Minds star Paget Brewster he remembers his short stay in the program after being fired and brought back.
“I think it was season six or seven or something,” Brewster, 57, said during the Monday, April 27, episode Kristin Davis“Are you Charlotte?” a podcast.
The actress, who has played Emily Prentiss since season 2 of the CBS crime drama, explained that Criminal Minds did a backdoor pilot for another series, meaning that the episode served as an introduction to the spin-off series and helped decide whether the spin-off would go forward.
“Obviously, this is what I heard, when Les Moonves — the now-fired president of CBS — when he aired the pilot within our episode, it was the first time he’d watched the show [in a while],” said Brewster. Get rid of these women.’ Now, AJ Cook and I was fired.”
Moonves, 76, resigned as chairman and CEO of the network in 2018 after allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault and harassment.
Cook, 47, who plays Jennifer “JJ” Jareau Criminal Mindshe briefly left the series after season 5 in 2010, along with Brewster. The latter returned for a few episodes in season 6 after “his agent came in and had a big fight” with CBS, Brewster said. Meanwhile, Cook returned as a main cast member for season 7.
Brewster said that although he was asked to return full time, he chose to leave the show after season 7 in 2012 because he was “too mad” at the network. He then moved into comedy, including roles in shows He is a grandfather, Community again Another Time.
Ultimately, Brewster reconsidered his decision to withdraw Criminal Minds.
“I held on to that anger for a very long time,” he recalls. “It was an unhealthy thing to hold on to. Because AJ and I were like, ‘We were fast, we knew our lines, we didn’t fight.’ We were really angry. I held onto my anger for a long time, and after four years, I finally thought, ‘Why not do it [on the show]? I love everyone there. I just don’t like Les Moonves, and I’ve never seen him because he doesn’t care about this show.’”
Brewster returned to the show during season 12 in 2016 following a former costar Thomas Gibsonshooting due to a dispute with the producer. Gibson, 63, played Aaron Hotchner, head of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. Brewster’s character replaced Gibson in the role.
Criminal Minds is back with a revival on Paramount+ – but fans have been watching the cast change on and off screen since the series first aired. In 2005, viewers were introduced to a group of criminal profilers working for the FBI as members of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Crime drama, created by […]
Before he agreed to return to the game, Brewster said he was fighting for equal pay.
“I fought to try to make my money for the episode close to what the men were making because we were always paid less money,” he explained. “I was like, ‘Well, I trashed them. So, I got the pay for my episode going up from what it was. Then, when the other female actors, their contracts were up, so I said, ‘This is what I got. Go get more.’ … So, they come in and they get big salaries.”
However Criminal Minds – following the Behavior Analysis Unit (BAU) as its team of profilers catch serial killers – was originally canceled after season 15 in 2020, the series was renewed as Criminal Minds: Evolution in 2022. Brewster is among the cast returning for the revival.
Criminal Minds season 19 premieres on Paramount+ on May 28.
![90 Day Boyfriend: Emma’s Sister Throws Her Under the Bus and Tells All – Ahead of 90 Day Reruns [S08E20]](https://eadn-wc01-4272485.nxedge.io/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1-1.jpg "90 Day Boyfriend: Emma’s Sister Throws Her Under the Bus and Tells All – Ahead of 90 Day Reruns [S08E20]")
