27 stars you forgot were on “Criminal Minds”
27 stars you forgot were on “Criminal Minds”
Rachel LaBonteTue, June 9, 2026 at 4:26 PM UTC
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Evan Peters; Aubrey Plaza; Mark HamillCredit: CBS(3)
For over 20 years, Criminal Minds has — against all odds — entertained viewers with its twisted exploration of the worst of humanity. No matter how dark the CBS-turned-Paramount+ show gets, fans keep coming back for more.
Like any good crime procedural, Criminal Minds has amassed an incredible wealth of talent in front of the camera, both within its core cast and through its recurring and guest stars.
Some, like Mark Hamill, came to the series already a household name. Others — from Elle Fanning to Evan Peters — put in memorable appearances before properly breaking out in other projects. Regardless of which category they fall into, they have all helped make the series the success that it is today.
With season 19 now underway on Paramount+, we're looking back at some of the Criminal Minds' cast members you might've forgotten.
01 of 27
Jason Alexander
Jason Alexander on 'Criminal Minds'Credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS
Sporting quite the wig, the Seinfeld star turned up for one episode in season 4. His character—a narcissistic serial killer posing as a professor—turned himself in, and then challenged the BAU team to find his five victims before they die. Alexander directed a different episode later in season 4 as well.
02 of 27
Jayne Atkinson
Jayne Atkinson on 'Criminal Minds'Credit: Michael Yarish/CBS
Before playing U.S. Secretary of State Catherine Durant on House of Cards, the 24 alum spent several seasons recurring on Criminal Minds as BAU Section Chief Erin Strauss. Sometimes butting heads with — but ultimately championing — the team of sleuths, Strauss was a valuable asset to the BAU.
She met her demise in season 8, falling victim to infamous serial killer, the Replicator (Mark Hamill). However, Atkinson reappeared in flashback sequences for a season 9 episode and the series finale.
03 of 27
Nicholas Brendon
Nicholas Brendon on 'Criminal Minds'Credit: Monty Brinton/CBS
After Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Kitchen Confidential, Nicholas Brendon had a recurring role on Criminal Minds as Kevin Lynch, a nerdy FBI analyst and an amazing boyfriend to Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness).
04 of 27
Tim Curry
Tim Curry in 'Criminal Minds' season 6Credit: CBS
To close out season 5 — and kick off season 6 — Criminal Minds turned to former Pennywise actor Tim Curry to play sadistic serial killer Billy Flynn. Amid rolling blackouts in Los Angeles, he invaded his victims' homes and inflicted his special brand of torture, leading to a tense showdown with Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore).
05 of 27
Elle Fanning
Elle Fanning on 'Criminal Minds'Credit: CBS
Elle Fanning was just 8 years old when she appeared in a guest role in season 2's "The Boogeyman," where her character Tracy was picked up by serial killer Jeffrey Charles (Cameron Monaghan).
She made a second appearance in the season finale when serial killer Frank Breitkopf (Keith Carradine) went after those who'd previously been saved once by the BAU. Thankfully, she made it out alive.
06 of 27
Lola Glaudini
Lola Glaudini on 'Criminal Minds'Credit: Ron Jaffe/CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
Viewers may recognize Glaudini from HBO's The Sopranos, but the actress was also a principal cast member on Minds for the first two seasons. She played Supervisory Special Agent Elle Greenaway, who was shot in the season 1 finale and later resigned in season 2 after shooting a suspect.
07 of 27
Walton Goggins
Walton Goggins in 'Criminal Minds' season 4Credit: CBS
Shortly before he began playing Boyd Crowder on Justified, Walton Goggins stopped by Criminal Minds for the season 4 episode "Demonology," an exorcism-themed installment that revealed a large part of Prentiss' (Paget Brewster) backstory. Goggins played John Cooley, one of Prentiss' old friends from her teenage years spent living abroad.
08 of 27
Mark Hamill
Mark Hamill on 'Criminal Minds'Credit: Robert Voets/CBS
Star Wars legend Mark Hamill turned to the dark side for his guest role as John Curtis, a.k.a. the Replicator, a serial killer who went after the BAU throughout season 8, eventually killing Atkinson's Chief Strauss.
09 of 27
Shawn Hatosy
Shawn Hatosy in 'Criminal Minds' season 7Credit: CBS
In a sharp contrast to his breakout role as Dr. Jack Abbot on The Pitt, Shawn Hatosy played a killer in the season 7 episode "The Bittersweet Science." He was a boxer who found himself driven by bloodlust — but his story was far more tragic than it initially seemed, as his actions were driven by his desperation to save his dying son.
10 of 27
C. Thomas Howell
C. Thomas Howell on 'Criminal Minds'Credit: Richard Foreman/CBS via Getty Images
Best known for his string of '80s hits, including The Outsiders, Howell went dark as George "The Reaper" Foyet. After attacking Hotch in the season 4 finale and season 5 premiere, the Reaper eventually met his demise at the hand of Hotch's — well, hands — when the pair engaged in a brutal fist fight in the show's 100th episode. Howell returned for hallucination sequences in season 9 and the series finale.
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Felicity Huffman
Felicity Huffman on 'Criminal Minds'Credit: CBS
Former Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman joined Criminal Minds in a recurring role for the second season of its Paramount+ revival, playing the ex-wife of Jason Gideon. That connection was fraught enough, but it was later revealed that she had unresolved romantic feelings for Rossi, which came to a head when she helped the BAU with their Gold Star investigation.
12 of 27
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt on 'Criminal Minds'Credit: CBS
The Ghost Whisperer and 9-1-1 star joined the Criminal Minds cast for its 10th season in 2014, playing Agent Kate Callahan. Her tenure ended up lasting only one year, however, when Hewitt became pregnant with her second child and decided to take time off from acting.
13 of 27
Jane Lynch
Jane Lynch on 'Criminal Minds'Credit: Richard Cartwright/CBS
Jane Lynch may have become a household name by playing the vile-mouthed, track-suit-clad cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester on Glee, but the Emmy winner has plenty of dramatic guest roles under her belt.
On Criminal Minds, she played Diana Reid, mother to Agent Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler), who lives with schizophrenia and often causes problems in her son's professional and personal life. She appeared in several episodes of the series' first four seasons.
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Amy Madigan
Amy Madigan in 'Criminal Minds' season 2Credit: CBS
Weapons Oscar winner Amy Madigan popped up early on in the procedural's run, appearing in a pair of season 2 episodes as Jane, a troubled woman who became the subject of serial killer Frank Breitkopf's (Keith Carradine) twisted affections. Needless to say, it's not the healthiest relationship.
15 of 27
Meredith Monroe
Meredith Monroe on 'Criminal Minds'Credit: Richard Foreman/CBS
The Dawson's Creek alum had a recurring role on Criminal Minds as Haley, the wife of Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson). His demanding job was ultimately the downfall of their relationship, and a common theme in the early seasons of the show.
In season 5, well after their divorce, Haley is killed at the hands of C. Thomas Howell's Reaper. Like Howell, Monroe appeared in a hallucination sequence later in the series.
16 of 27
Esai Morales
Esai Morales on 'Criminal Minds'Credit: Richard Foreman/CBS
The NYPD Blue star had a recurring role as Section Chief Mateo Cruz, who took over for Erin Strauss (Jayne Atkinson) after her death. His character was also referenced in a season 10 episode.
17 of 27
Rachel Nichols
Rachel Nichols on 'Criminal Minds'Credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS
Rachel Nichols, who played Gaila in 2009's Star Trek, had a recurring role as FBI cadet Ashley Seaver, the daughter of serial killer Charles Beauchamp caught by Hotchner and Rossi when she was 18. Her personal experience makes her useful to the team, and she eventually becomes an FBI agent herself.
18 of 27
Luke Perry
Luke Perry in 'Criminal Minds' season 4Credit: CBS
The late Luke Perry only appeared on one episode of Criminal Minds, but his character's presence lingered long after he was gone. In season 4's "Minimal Loss," Perry gave a chilling performance as Benjamin Cyrus, the leader of a cult Reid and Prentiss infiltrated while undercover. Later on, some of Cyrus' former followers resurfaced with a new group that took Reid and Garcia hostage.
19 of 27
Evan Peters
Evan Peters in 'Criminal Minds' season 5Credit: CBS
Before Evan Peters broke out on American Horror Story and in Fox's X-Men movies, he played a pivotal role in the poignant season 5 episode "Mosley Lane." With the case revolving around a slew of child abductions, Peters starred as Charlie, a boy who was kidnapped at a young age and raised by his captors. Don't worry: His story has a happy ending.
20 of 27
Aubrey Plaza
Aubrey Plaza in 'Criminal Minds' season 12Credit: CBS
From the moment Aubrey Plaza's Cat Adams sat down across from Reid in season 11, she established herself as an UnSub to pay attention to. Cat was first introduced as a member of an assassin network the BAU was tracking, but later became one of Reid's most notable enemies, going so far as to frame him for murder in season 12.
21 of 27
Sheryl Lee Ralph
Sheryl Lee Ralph in 'Criminal Minds' season 11Credit: CBS
These days, Sheryl Lee Ralph is busy keeping the kindergarteners of Abbott Elementary in line. Before the ABC series began, though, she put in a two-episode stint on Criminal Minds as Hayden Montgomery, David Rossi's second ex-wife and the mother of his daughter, Joy (Amber Stevens West). She and Rossi briefly rekindled their romance in season 11, but it didn't last.
22 of 27
Amber Stevens West
Amber Stevens West on 'Criminal Minds'Credit: CBS
Run the World actress Amber Stevens West turned up for episodes in seasons 10, 11, and 14, as David Rossi's (Joe Mantegna) long-lost daughter, Joy.
23 of 27
D.B. Sweeney
D.B. Sweeney on 'Criminal Minds'Credit: CBS
The Cutting Edge star D.B. Sweeney got a break from hearing "toe pick!" several times a day when he turned up for a three-episode stint on Criminal Minds as U.S. Marshal Sam Kassmeyer, who was assigned to protect Hotch's wife and son while the BAU tracked down serial killer George Foyet.
Unfortunately, things went sideways for Sam: In the show's 100th episode, the Reaper shot, beat, and — ultimately — killed him.
24 of 27
Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Trachtenberg in 'Criminal Minds' season 8Credit: CBS
The late Michelle Trachtenberg made quite the impression with her season 8 episode, "Zugzwang." She played Diane Turner, the murderous stalker of Reid's mysterious girlfriend, Maeve (Beth Reisgraf). Though it seemed like the BAU would get to Maeve just in time, Diane proved to be too ruthless to stop.
25 of 27
Jeanne Tripplehorn
Credit: Monty Brinton/CBS
Big Love's Jeanne Tripplehorn starred on the show for its eighth and ninth seasons, playing Dr. Alex Blake, a linguistics expert. Blake joined the team after the departure of Prentiss (Paget Brewster), only to leave two years later when a particularly troubling case hit too close to home.
26 of 27
James Van Der Beek
James Van Der Beek on 'Criminal Minds'Credit: CBS
The late James Van Der Beek took on quite the intense role during season 2: Tobias Hankel, a man with Dissociative Identity Disorder. While Tobias was a good guy, one of his alternate personalities, Raphael, was one seriously bad dude.
27 of 27
Bellamy Young
Credit: Cliff Lipson/CBS
Before she was causing trouble for Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) on Scandal, Bellamy Young recurred on Criminal Minds' seventh and eighth seasons as Beth Clemmons, Hotch's (Thomas Gibson) first serious girlfriend after the tragic death of his wife (Meredith Monroe).
Because of Young's commitments in Shondaland, Beth was quietly written off the show in later seasons.
Where can I watch Criminal Minds?
Criminal Minds is currently available to stream on Paramount+.
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