These Side-By-Side Photos Reveal Just How Much The Criminal Minds Cast Has Evolved

Few procedurals have taken on more cases than Criminal Minds. The CBS hit began in 2005 and spawned 15 seasons, 324 episodes and even a few spinoffs. And now that we’ve finally said goodbye to the Behavioral Analysis Unit, we’re intrigued to see just how far they’ve come. Let’s take a look back at where each cast member started – and what they’re like 15 years on.

20. Thomas Gibson (Aaron Hotchner)

Thomas Gibson – a.k.a. Aaron Hotchner – looked all set to be in Criminal Minds to the end. And then in 2016 his character suddenly left without warning. Fans were blindsided; the actor had become the franchise’s leading man after Mandy Patinkin’s own sudden departure in season three, and he was a firm but lovable team leader. But Gibson was given his marching orders after allegedly assaulting one of the show’s writers during an argument about an episode. He’s since focused most of his efforts on his self-penned directorial effort The Writer’s Bible.

19. Daniel Henney (Matt Simmons)

Daniel Henney first graced the Criminal Minds franchise in spinoff Beyond Borders before moving over to the original show. The actor, who played Special Operations Agent and army veteran Matt Simmons, didn’t waste any time in finding new work after the show wrapped. He landed roles in the sequel to Korean action movie Confidential Assignment and Amazon fantasy drama The Wheel of Time.

18. A.J. Cook (Jennifer Jareau)

A.J. Cook’s character Jennifer “JJ” Jareau had a pretty eventful Criminal Minds journey. She started as the team’s media liaison, worked her way up to field agent, got married, became a mom twice and even survived a kidnapping. And despite a mysterious departure in season six – her contract was apparently dropped – Cook was a fan favorite until the end. Since the show wrapped, the actress appears to have been enjoying some downtime.

17. Kirsten Vangsness (Penelope Garcia)

Kirsten Vangsness holds quite the Criminal Minds distinction. No other cast member has graced both the original and its spinoffs Suspect Behavior and Beyond Borders. Vangsness played Penelope Garcia – the team’s technical analyst and badass vegan feminist – across all three shows and even penned a handful of episodes, too. Her only credit since is as a narrator on 2020 short film Curtains.