The Real Reason Why Mandy Patinkin Left Criminal Minds

Let’s be real here for a second: Mandy Patinkin was largely the reason why Criminal Minds took off. Sure, the show itself had fresh ideas and was executed perfectly, but it was the lead actor’s phenomenal portrayal of Jason Gideon that really propelled it.

But it didn’t take long for Patinkin to take off, and most fans just didn’t get his quit: the series was going great and he had seemingly no reason to abandon it.

The worst thing about Mandy Patinkin’s exit was how abrupt it was. The actor didn’t bother warning the showrunner or his co-stars; one day, he simply vanished without a trace, and Criminal Minds hasn’t been the same ever since. According to Patinkin himself, he “behaved abominably” — but he had his reasons.

“The biggest public mistake I ever made was that I chose to do Criminal Minds in the first place. I thought it was something very different. I never thought they were going to kill and rape all these women every night, every day, week after week, year after year. It was very destructive to my soul and my personality. After that, I didn't think I would get to work in television again,” Patinkin shared with New York Magazine.

How Many Seasons of Criminal Minds Mandy Patinkin Starred in?

Before his notorious exit, Mandy Patinkin had only starred in two seasons of Criminal Minds — and according to fans, that was the TV show’s best era.

Soon after leaving Criminal Minds, Mandy Patinkin joined a show called Homeland — and many fans hated that fact, claiming the actor betrayed his words since Homeland was also quite violent. The actor explained the difference between them.

“Audiences all over the world use [Criminal Minds’] programming as their bedtime story. This isn’t what you need to be dreaming about. A show like Homeland is the antidote. It asks why there’s a need for violence in the first place,” he elaborated.

For Mandy Patinkin, two seasons of Criminal Minds proved mentally destructive, so at one moment, he just straight-up left without saying a word. Without his Jason Gideon, the show changed quite a lot; but at least, the actor was sleeping well again.

Source: New York Magazine