Why Daniel Henney’s Matt Simmons Left Criminal Minds

Network television is an exhausting industry to work in, with the days long and the schedules relentless. It’s not surprising that some of the most famous shows on TV today have a constantly revolving door of stars and guest actors, as performers engage with the material for a short time before deciding to step away for other projects. Nonetheless, there are often loyal and dedicated performers who stick around for the long term, to help define procedural shows like Grey’s Anatomy or Criminal Minds. The latter has often been considered to have one of TV’s greatest ensemble casts, many of which have been around since the very beginning.

Criminal Minds might have a dedicated cast full of genuine stars who have connected with audiences across their extensive run, but that doesn’t mean it has been immune to some of those big names leaving. In fact, in recent years, there have been quite a few examples of actors stepping away to follow other projects, especially when Criminal Minds was rebranded and moved to become Criminal Minds: Evolution. It seems to be confirmed that the series will receive another few seasons in the coming years, so there will likely be more personnel changes. But one performer, Daniel Henney, hasn’t been seen for a little while now, and might not be returning in any of those upcoming entries.

Matt Simmons Was Written Out Of Criminal Minds

The Character Was Engaged In A Confidential Mission

The character Matt Simmons first appeared in Season 10, Episode 1, “Beyond Borders.” The actor might have been a latecomer to the show, but that didn’t stop him from instantly developing a fan base who enjoyed his nuanced performance and well-developed character arcs. Simmons was defined as a member of the FBI’s international response team and was shown to be dedicated, highly skilled, and intelligent. While the character was not initially intended to be a recurring presence within the show, by Season 13, things had largely changed, with Simmons joining the larger ensemble.

In Season 13, he joins BAU and is a regular part of the series until Season 15, ensuring that he has a quality stint on the show. During that time, he amassed a total of 75 episodes, with 49 in the main Criminal Minds series, and then 26 in the Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders spinoff. It’s interesting to see a performer who was able to make such an impact on the audience that he appeared in both the main series and the side hustle that was attempting to get off the ground. As a critical part of the Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders team, though, it seemed that Simmons was simply too valuable to waste.

The change in Matt Simmons’ presence on the show largely took place with that shift, between seasons. Because, while Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders might have folded some of its elements into the main Criminal Minds series, other aspects of the show were lost when Criminal Minds: Evolution rolled around. Matt Simmons was one of the leading characters not to be carried over to the new show, and the showrunners needed a good reason as to why he was suddenly absent. He wasn’t the only one, with Spencer Reid also absent for the start of the sequel series after a much-loved prior run.

In Criminal Minds: Evolution, it is established that Matt Simmons has been sent away on a confidential mission in a very sad episode. Nothing else is said about this assignment, or why he was specifically selected, but this explanation does wrap a neat bow around proceedings. It’s a topic that the team can’t ask any further questions about, and is believable in the context of the story. Having already seen Simmons moving between teams, it’s not out of the question that he has been transferred once more, with his incredible skills put to use elsewhere. Nonetheless, it’s a sad blow to his friends and colleagues, but one they have to move on from quickly.

Daniel Henney Had to Step Away

The Actor’s Schedule Became Fully Booked

Naturally, Criminal Minds: Evolution offered up a pretty generic reason as to why the character wouldn’t be returning to the show, but there is more at play here, with performer Daniel Henney actually stepping away from the series on his own accord. While it may seem as if he wasn’t on board with the new concept of a sequel series, that wasn’t the case at all. In fact, the actor had grown in popularity and fame since he first appeared on Criminal Minds, which meant that he had to contend with new offers and opportunities. A show like Criminal Minds: Evolution, with its extensive shooting schedule, could have easily gotten in the way of that.

Henney had already built a reputation for himself, appearing on procedural shows in smaller roles like NCIS: Los Angeles and Hawaii Five-0. Arguably, one of his biggest roles to date would come from Disney, though, as he starred in Big Hero 6 as Hiro’s older brother, Tadashi. While he may have a tragic fate in the film, he is nonetheless crucially important to the narrative, and Henney gave the character charm and a real sense of heart.

It’s also not surprising that after Criminal Minds, Henney would have other offers. So many, in fact, that he wouldn’t be able to return to Criminal Minds: Evolution, due to those difficult scheduling conflicts. It was a natural turning point for the actor and one that he allowed to take him on a new path. For starters, he signed up for The Wheel of Time, starring as Lan Mandragoran in the massively popular Amazon Prime streaming series. While the show just got canceled, he appeared in a total of 24 episodes and was a critical character. This was a demonstration that Henney could step up again, in a huge genre piece.

But, The Wheel of Time wasn’t the only thing Henney has turned his attention to since departing Criminal Minds. He has also appeared in Confidential Assignment 2: International, Missing, and the podcast series Koreaboo. There’s no telling what’s on the horizon for Henney next, but considering he has now built a rather robust set of credits, it’s unlikely that he will be heading back towards procedural TV, especially when larger budget projects are calling. As a breakout in The Wheel of Time, more people have gotten to learn about Henney, despite the fact that Criminal Minds fans recognized his talent all along.

There Is a Possibility Simmons Could Return

The Character Has an Open Ending

What fans really want to know is whether there is any chance that the actor may return to Criminal Minds in future seasons. Well, the first thing to analyze is the narrative reason for his departure. It’s clear that the showrunners are more than happy for Henney to make a comeback, and deliberately wrote an ending that was open. So, in the context of the story, there’s definitely a space for Henney to return to, with the characters perhaps investigating why he has disappeared and what his secret mission was all about. Alternatively, his mission could just simply come to an end!

From the perspective of the performer, there has always been positive feedback from Henney about his time on Criminal Minds. While he may have left the show on his own accord, he has never had anything negative to say, and appears to have genuine warmth towards his time with the rest of the cast. Criminal Minds ultimately helped to further launch him, so he seems to have no issue crediting it with that value. Perhaps, with that in mind, Henney may wish to appear as a guest star in a future season, so that he doesn’t have the same schedule, but can still cameo where needed.

From a scheduling perspective, his return may be more likely than ever, considering The Wheel of Time just got canceled. Without another season to film, Henney will suddenly have a massive gap in his calendar that he may be able to fill with a brief stint on Criminal Minds. However, there are likely other offers waiting to be taken, and the actor will want to give the sense that he is moving forward with his career. Going back to Criminal Minds might seem like traveling in the wrong direction, and could take away some of that momentum he has built.

The key takeaways are that Henney has expressed an interest in returning like other costars, and will have the time to do so right now, but could be taken in another direction very soon. If there is to be another appearance, the time is now, but that window is getting shorter by the second. What fans should know is that if he is to return, this will likely be announced well in advance, to boost ratings when needed.