Criminal Minds: Mandy Patinkin and Thomas Gibson’s Exit Overshadows Another Star Who Quit for Another Show That Got Nearly Canceled Twice

Criminal Minds took the crime genre to a whole new level when it was released in 2005 and also presented a stunning ensemble of actors. But just like any other long-running show, even this series went through a lot of changes in the main cast. While Mandy Patinkin left the project for personal reasons, actor Thomas Gibson was fired in 2016 after his on-set altercation with a writer.

These exits also overshadowed the departure of actor Shemar Moore who played Derek Morgan on the show. While his exit was due to a lot of reasons, after Criminal Minds he got on board S.W.A.T. which was nearly canceled twice.

After Mandy Patinkin and Thomas Gibson’s Exit Shemar Moore Left Criminal Minds for S.W.A.T.

Criminal Minds with its thrilling plots and storylines can easily be one of the most interesting crime dramas out there. While it boasted a stellar ensemble, not every actor was happy about their time on the show, especially Mandy Patinkin. In the show, the actor played the role of Jason Gideon for only two seasons and has openly detailed why he regretted being a part of it.

Being a crime show, the team had to investigate some really disturbing crimes, something that Patinkin was not prepared for when he got on board. In an interview with, New York Magazine, he added “I thought it was something very different. I never thought they were going to kill and r*pe all these women every night.” Patinkin went even as far as to claim that “I didn’t think I would get to work in television again.”

While he left for personal reasons, actor Thomas Gibson was actually fired from the show in 2016 for his on-set antics. The actor had the most dramatic exit of the lot and was removed after he got into an on-set altercation with writer-producer Virgil Williams. While these exits were a huge blow for the viewers, they also overshadowed the exit of actor Shemar Moore from the show.

Moore played the role of Derek Morgan and left the show in Season 14 after joining in as the main cast member in Season 2. After this, he went on to star in another show S.W.A.T., which managed to survive despite nearly being canceled twice. The first instance happened after six seasons of the show in 2023, due to licensing issues between CBS and Sony via Variety.

However, the network reversed this decision after working out a deal with Sony and renewed the show for a seventh season. This was also supposed to be the final season of S.W.A.T., but to the delight of crime drama fans, it was later renewed for an eighth season as well.

Why Is Shemar Moore Not Interested in the Idea of Marriage?

Shemar Moore has been in the industry for a while now with several years of experience under his belt. While he’s thriving professionally, he also welcomed his first child, a daughter named Frankie with girlfriend Jesiree Dizon in 2023. But despite this, the actor has never quite embraced the traditional idea of marriage and has been vocal about his personal views on commitment and relationships.

Despite becoming a father, Moore doesn’t see marriage as a necessary step for his family. He added via People “I didn’t have a good role model of marriage in my family. Not my mother, not my father. Nobody close to me.” This lack of positive examples led him to question the institution of marriage itself and focus more on the love and partnership he shares with his girlfriend.

He also has a deep sense of commitment to Dizon adding “Tomorrow’s not guaranteed, but Jesiree, I’ll give you everything I got today and tomorrow.” Moore also proudly called Dizon his “partner in crime” and loves her two kids Charli and Kayden from a previous relationship.

While he loves being a father, he regrets that his mother Marylin Joan Wilson-Moore didn’t get to meet his daughter as she passed away in 2020.