“I ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴍʏ ᴀ** ᴏꜰꜰ”: 1 Cʀɪᴍɪɴᴀʟ Mɪɴᴅs Sᴛᴀʀ Nᴇᴠᴇʀ Gᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴇ Aᴘᴘʀᴇᴄɪᴀᴛɪᴏɴ Hᴇ Dᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ Dᴇsᴘɪᴛᴇ Hɪs Iɴsᴀɴᴇ Lᴇᴠᴇʟ ᴏꜰ Dᴇᴅɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ
One Criminal Minds star put in mad work behind the scenes—yet somehow stayed under the radar. It’s time for his overdue recognition.
“I ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴍʏ ᴀ** ᴏꜰꜰ”: 1 Cʀɪᴍɪɴᴀʟ Mɪɴᴅs Sᴛᴀʀ Nᴇᴠᴇʀ Gᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴇ Aᴘᴘʀᴇᴄɪᴀᴛɪᴏɴ Hᴇ Dᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ Dᴇsᴘɪᴛᴇ Hɪs Iɴsᴀɴᴇ Lᴇᴠᴇʟ ᴏꜰ Dᴇᴅɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ
Cʀɪᴍɪɴᴀʟ Mɪɴᴅs ɢᴀᴠᴇ ᴜs ᴀ sǫᴜᴀᴅ ᴏꜰ ʟᴇɢᴇɴᴅs, ʙᴜᴛ ᴏɴᴇ sᴛᴀʀ ʜᴜsᴛʟᴇᴅ ʜᴀʀᴅᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ᴇʟsᴇ—ᴀɴᴅ sᴏᴍᴇʜᴏᴡ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ɢᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʜʏᴘᴇ ʜᴇ ᴅᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ. Wʜɪʟᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀs sᴏᴀᴋᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴛʜᴇ sᴘᴏᴛʟɪɢʜᴛ, ᴛʜɪs ɢᴜʏ sᴛᴀʏᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴇɴᴄʜᴇs, ᴘᴜᴛᴛɪɴɢ ɪɴ ɪɴsᴀɴᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ sɪɴɢʟᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ. Nᴏ ᴅʀᴀᴍᴀ, ɴᴏ sʜᴏʀᴛᴄᴜᴛs—ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴘᴜʀᴇ, ɴᴇxᴛ-ʟᴇᴠᴇʟ ᴅᴇᴅɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ.
Bᴜᴛ ʜᴇʀᴇ’s ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪᴄᴋᴇʀ: ᴡʜᴇɴ ꜰᴀɴs ɢᴜsʜ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ sʜᴏᴡ, ʜɪs ɴᴀᴍᴇ ʙᴀʀᴇʟʏ ɢᴇᴛs ᴀ ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ. Sᴇʀɪᴏᴜsʟʏ? Tᴀʟᴋ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ! Iᴛ’s ᴡɪʟᴅ ʜᴏᴡ sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ɢʀɪɴᴅ sᴏ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴀɴᴅ sᴛɪʟʟ ꜰʟʏ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴀᴅᴀʀ. Iꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ—ᴛʜɪs ɢᴜʏ’s ᴄᴏᴍᴍɪᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴀs ɴᴇxᴛ-ʟᴇᴠᴇʟ, ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛʟʏ, ɪᴛ’s ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴡᴇ ɢᴀᴠᴇ ʜɪᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴘs ʜᴇ’s ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴏᴡᴇᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛᴏᴏ ʟᴏɴɢ.
Zᴀᴄʜ Gɪʟꜰᴏʀᴅ Oᴘᴇɴs Uᴘ Aʙᴏᴜᴛ Dɪʀᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ Cʀɪᴍɪɴᴀʟ Mɪɴᴅs: Eᴠᴏʟᴜᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ Vᴏɪᴛ’s Sɴᴇᴀᴋʏ Mɪɴᴅ Gᴀᴍᴇs
Zᴀᴄʜ Gɪʟꜰᴏʀᴅ ᴡᴀs ꜰʟᴇxɪɴɢ sᴏᴍᴇ sᴇʀɪᴏᴜs sᴋɪʟʟs ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴍᴇʀᴀ. Tʜᴇ Cʀɪᴍɪɴᴀʟ Mɪɴᴅs: Eᴠᴏʟᴜᴛɪᴏɴ sᴛᴀʀ, ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ꜰᴏʀ ʜɪs ʀᴏʟᴇ ᴀs Eʟɪᴀs Vᴏɪᴛ, sᴛᴇᴘᴘᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛᴏʀ’s ᴄʜᴀɪʀ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴘɪsᴏᴅᴇ Nᴏʀᴛʜ Sᴛᴀʀ, ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴇᴛ’s ᴊᴜsᴛ sᴀʏ, ʜᴇ ᴄʀᴜsʜᴇᴅ ɪᴛ.
Tʜᴇ ᴇᴘɪsᴏᴅᴇ ᴅɪᴠᴇs ᴅᴇᴇᴘ ɪɴᴛᴏ Fᴇʟɪᴄɪᴛʏ Hᴜꜰꜰᴍᴀɴ’s ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ Jɪʟʟ Gɪᴅᴇᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇʀ ᴛᴀɴɢʟᴇᴅ ᴘᴀsᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ Gᴏʟᴅ Sᴛᴀʀ ᴋɪʟʟɪɴɢs. Bᴜᴛ ᴅᴇsᴘɪᴛᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇᴀᴠʏᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛs ʟɪᴋᴇ Jᴏᴇ Mᴀɴᴛᴇɢɴᴀ ᴀɴᴅ Hᴜꜰꜰᴍᴀɴ, Gɪʟꜰᴏʀᴅ ᴡᴀsɴ’ᴛ sᴡᴇᴀᴛɪɴɢ ɪᴛ. Iɴ ʜɪs ᴡᴏʀᴅs, ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ɴᴏᴛ ɪɴᴛɪᴍɪᴅᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴀᴛ ᴀʟʟ. Bᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴏʟ ᴄᴏɴꜰɪᴅᴇɴᴄᴇ, ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ, ᴡᴀs ᴛᴏɴs ᴏꜰ ᴘʀᴇᴘ. Gɪʟꜰᴏʀᴅ sʜᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ Eɴᴛᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴᴍᴇɴᴛ Wᴇᴇᴋʟʏ,
I think the challenge was just not knowing what I was doing. [Laughs] In the sense of I’ve never done it before and just having that humility, but also knowing I had so many people around me that I could rely on. And this is what I do with most things: I just work my a** off. I prepped so much. I would go in on Saturdays to walk through sets and make sure I knew what I wanted to do.
Because without fail, whatever you want to do when you get there, when it’s time to do it, you’re going to end up doing something else — whether it’s because of actors having a different idea of how the scene should go or the light can’t work the way you thought it would.
Hᴇ ᴡᴀsɴ’ᴛ ᴛᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs ʟɪɢʜᴛʟʏ—ʜᴇ sʜᴀᴅᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴘʀᴇᴠɪᴏᴜs sᴇᴛs ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴜᴛ ɪɴ ᴇxᴛʀᴀ ʜᴏᴜʀs ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ sᴜʀᴇ ʜᴇ ᴋɴᴇᴡ ᴇxᴀᴄᴛʟʏ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ. Aꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟʟ, ᴀs ᴀɴʏ ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛᴏʀ ᴋɴᴏᴡs, ᴘʟᴀɴs ʀᴀʀᴇʟʏ ɢᴏ ᴀᴄᴄᴏʀᴅɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ sᴄʀɪᴘᴛ. Lᴏᴏᴋs ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴡᴇ’ʟʟ ʙᴇ sᴇᴇɪɴɢ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴏꜰ ʜɪᴍ ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴍᴇʀᴀ sᴏᴏɴ.
Zᴀᴄʜ Gɪʟꜰᴏʀᴅ Oᴘᴇɴs Uᴘ Aʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ Cʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢᴇ ᴏꜰ Aᴄᴛɪɴɢ Wɪᴛʜ Wɪꜰᴇ Kɪᴇʟᴇ Sᴀɴᴄʜᴇᴢ ᴏɴ Cʀɪᴍɪɴᴀʟ Mɪɴᴅs
Zᴀᴄʜ Gɪʟꜰᴏʀᴅ’s Cʀɪᴍɪɴᴀʟ Mɪɴᴅs: Eᴠᴏʟᴜᴛɪᴏɴ ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ᴀ ᴜɴɪǫᴜᴇ ᴛᴡɪsᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴏᴘᴘᴏsɪᴛᴇ ʜɪs ᴡɪꜰᴇ, Kɪᴇʟᴇ Sᴀɴᴄʜᴇᴢ. Bᴜᴛ ᴀs Gɪʟꜰᴏʀᴅ ᴛᴏʟᴅ Us Wᴇᴇᴋʟʏ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴀsɴ’ᴛ ᴀʟʟ sᴍᴏᴏᴛʜ sᴀɪʟɪɴɢ. “Nᴏ, ɪᴛ’s ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ ʜᴀʀᴅᴇʀ,” ʜᴇ ᴀᴅᴍɪᴛᴛᴇᴅ, ᴇsᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴛ sᴄᴇɴᴇs ɪɴᴠᴏʟᴠɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs. Hᴇ ᴀʟʟᴜᴅᴇᴅ,
It’s harder because I don’t want to hold a gun to my wife’s head. … It just happened to be that the nature of these scenes were pretty gross.
Wʜɪʟᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴏɴ-sᴄʀᴇᴇɴ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘ ᴡᴀs ɪɴᴛᴇɴsᴇ—Vᴏɪᴛ’s ᴅᴀʀᴋ sɪᴅᴇ ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛᴇɴs ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ—ɪᴛ ᴡᴀsɴ’ᴛ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ɪᴅᴇᴀ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴀsᴛ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ. Gɪʟꜰᴏʀᴅ ᴇxᴘʟᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏꜰꜰᴇʀ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴀs ᴀ sᴜʀᴘʀɪsᴇ. “Kɪᴇʟᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ᴛᴀʟᴋ ꜰᴏʀ ʜᴇʀsᴇʟꜰ—sʜᴇ’s ᴀ ᴠᴇʀʏ sᴛʀᴏɴɢ ᴡᴏᴍᴀɴ,” ʜᴇ ᴀᴅᴅᴇᴅ, ɴᴏᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢᴇ ᴏꜰ ʙᴀʟᴀɴᴄɪɴɢ ᴘʀᴏꜰᴇssɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟ ʟɪꜰᴇ ᴏɴ sᴇᴛ. Dᴇsᴘɪᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴜɢʜ ᴍᴀᴛᴇʀɪᴀʟ, ʜᴇ ᴘʀᴀɪsᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴜɴ ᴠɪʙᴇ ᴏɴ sᴇᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴍᴀᴢɪɴɢ ᴄʀᴇᴡ, ᴄᴀʟʟɪɴɢ ɪᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇsᴛ sᴇᴛ ʜᴇ’s ᴡᴏʀᴋᴇᴅ ᴏɴ.
