Scoop: Jennifer Love Hewitt Joining Criminal Minds as Series Regular
CBS‘ Criminal Minds will fill the void left by Jeanne Tripplehorn’s departure with a lotta Love.
TVLine has learned that TV vet Jennifer Love Hewitt is joining the crime drama during Season 10 in a series regular role.
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She will play Kate Callahan, a seasoned undercover agent whose stellar work at the FBI has landed her a coveted position with the Behavioral Analysis Unit. The character will be introduced in the Oct. 1 season premiere.
“We’re thrilled to introduce a new special agent by adding the very talented Jennifer Love Hewitt to our amazing cast,” says Minds showrunner Erica Messer. “Many of us on the show have enjoyed working with her over the years and look forward to again. We have exciting storylines planned for her character and the entire BAU team as we head into our 10th season.”
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News of Love’s casting comes seven weeks after Criminal Minds‘ May finale saw Tripplehorn’s Alex Blake signal her decision to part ways with the BAU, after a two-season stint.
Hewitt’s previous credits include Party of Five (and subsequent short-lived spin-off), Ghost Whisperer, The Client List and a couple of I Know What You Did Last Summer movies.
Oh yuck, no! Shark jumping commence.
Agreed.
That doesnt even make sense. How does adding a actress to a role Shark Jumping?
Because “shark jumping” now just means “something I don’t like on a television show.”
LOL! That is the PERFECT definition of how people use the term shark jumping now. Particularly here at TVLine. Thank you internet stranger for the laugh!
Also the terms “plot hole” and “lazy writing” often apply to things that posters do not like about a TV show.
You can add “derivative” to that list also. That one is used when people want to sound like their taste in TV is far too advanced for whatever show they’re complaining about.
Although to be fair, if there is a legitimate plothole or lazy writing, and a viewer isn’t bothered in the slightest by it, they just say that people who use the terms aren’t using them correctly.
Because JLH stinks. She’s all t*ts and no talent.
i don’t enjoy watching her face and her eyelashes on tv. Her previous series are boring.
Agree! She doesn’t fit with the cast. She should stick with ghost and angel shows!
agree. She is terrible and makes me not want to watch the show. Wrote to Cbs after season premiere. So glad there are like minded viewers but how can we influence the bosses.
I was thinking the same thing. Don’t know if I’ll be able to watch now … don’t really like her. She’s very … I don’t even know how to put it.
Great, I’ll be expecting a ghost to jump out!
agree, no please we don’t liker her
I am NOT ok with this!
Great no one cares don’t watch
Great answer!
Nate’s just happy to have some fun bags to pant over. So what if she can’t act?
There any chance we could try not going there with that kind of talk? Yes. She has a big chest. Get over it, people.
Get over yourself, Church Lady.
@Dee: Hmmmm…now about, no? Pardon me for suggesting people actually act like adults and talk about someone based on their acting merits instead of making stupid comments about their looks, and judging them as people based off of that alone. Her looks have squat to do with her acting ability or lack thereof.
@Nate Did Michelle say ANYTHING about not watching?! NO SHE DID NOT! Read her comment before you start typing stupid comments next time!
What are they thinking, not a good match for Criminal Minds.
agreed
agree, she will be the main star, so sad
Oy. Hewitt is one of those performers I really *want* to like, but somehow just … can’t.
Wow, rude. Can we report comments here?
Report somebody having an opinion? Wow, you really need to buy a helmet because life must be incredibly difficult for you.
The comment I was referring to has been deleted, it seems, it was really rude, something about wanting to kill JLH.
Idiot
That is exactly how I feel! I’ve never been a fan and just can’s seem to put my finger on why!
she doesn’t exactly fit in a role that doesn’t call for excessive “perky,” that could be it. i love CM, and i don’t precisely dislike JLH, but somehow the two don’t make a smooth blend in my mind. have to wait and see, i suppose, but i’m not optimistic.
i’m out. She’s one of those actors i just can’t stand no matter what.
Well someone’s a little bitch
She killed your cat or something?
Of course I am.
Nobody cares. If one actress can make you stop watching the show, then you probably weren’t a fan anyway. So goodbye.
Are you her husband’s ex boyfriend?
@Mik HEY! Carrie just stated her opinion! If she wasn’t a fan, then she would have not watch EVERY SINGLE EPISODE! Lighten up because you acting like a witch and i don’t like it! People like you make me sick! Putting down other people just because THEY have an opinion and that’s not ok with me! Show people who has opinions some respect! If you can’t stand what i said either get off this site and don’t come back or (in Mojo Jojo’s voice) SHUT UP!!!!!! And don’t even think about replying back because I will win this argument! P.S JLH herself killed The Client List or did you forget that, Mik?! Goodbye to YOU! (Return Of The Ronin by MVP plays)
agree
Um, it’s JULY 1st, not APRIL 1st. Please tell me you just got confused…
Like. ^^^
Ew.
Dang , stopped watching CM last season . 2 reasons I’m gonna start watching again ;)
I seem to be the only one happy about this. Ghost Whisperer, in it’s early years, was really good. JLH can be a good actress.
I agree. She is a pretty good actress so I am sure she can make herself believable in this role. I am certainly willing to give her the chance!
You’re an idiot… Good actress? She was awful in svu to me…
Yup. She was bad in one thing. That must mean she’s bad in everything and has no talent. Totally the same thing.
I agree. I am willing to watch to see how she does before I make judgement. I have to admit it is a surprise.
Sure it was good, but it was different, JLH was playing little miss Sunshine McPerfect, then she played little miss Sunshine McPerfect on The Client List, I don’t see her playing anything different on Criminal Minds or a way for that type of character to fit on the show.
You should watch her as a rape victim on SVU a few years back. She was good and can do dark.
For how long? She’s one of those people that just have to be liked, and if she’s not, she’ll call you and bring you homemade muffins and compliment your garden to death. Seems like she always plays herself in her regular roles, she has the same face expressions, pretty much the same story too. How’s she going to do a different thing for a whole season or more? She has that face, like mother Theresa kind of face, she should stay in her type of shows and play the good girl, or the victim, she’s good at that – people have to like her and/or feel sorry for her, and she has to have a not so good looking best friend and look like a toothpaste commercial all the time. She’s cute, there’s just this creepy feeling about her, like if you don’t like her, she’ll strangle you with rope made from cotton candy or something.
No she was AWFUL on SVU. Her crying was funny and not sad
I agree. She was excellent, and I thought at the time she might surprise viewers if she got a good script again. I’ll give her a chance.
So she went from breaking the law (The Client List) to upholding the law (Criminal Minds). Never let it be said that Jennifer Love Hewitt hasn’t had an interesting career…
talk about random casting. huh
cough, cough, gag. Big mistake!
I agree! She’s a beautiful, talented actress, but definitely not fit for the part on Criminal Minds.
Not sure if its a good fit, but I never thought Jeanne Tripplehorn meshed well with the cast. I liked the Ghost Whisperer, so I will be giving a try. Can’t say no without giving it a chance. It is certainly a big change for her.
She will ruin everything and CM will be cancelled instead of getting a 11st season
I agree with you about Jeanne. I just couldn’t relate to her character at all. I liked Ghost Whisperer and I’m more than willing to give JLH a chance. Some people are so negative it’s a wonder they can find anything they like on tv.
Well @bj people CAN be negative all they want. You want to know why they’re negative? Because this chick will be on it basically jumping the shark in the process and if she happens to get negative reception by critics AND fans which she will then viewers will quit meaning ratings drop further meaning no 11th season and Jennifer will really get hated on. Another thing people CAN be negative (IN HIM from the Powerpuff Girls voice) BECAUSE IT”S THEIR OPINION! So deal with it!
If I say I don’t like something I am not being negative. I am just giving my opinion, which is as valid as yours or anyone else’s. I just don’t like this actress, as I don’t like vanilla ice cream. Why? Who knows. But I know I just see her on tv and she makes me change the channel.
Oh, hell no! I may be in the minority but I liked Tripplehorn’s character. I adore this show even if it’s occasionally a little Shemar heavier then I’d like but Hewitt has annoyed me on just about anything I’ve ever watched her in. I flat out don’t understand the fascination with her. She really seems to have only one facial expression. FYI-Squinty is NOT a charming facial expression. And, PLEASE for the love of God, DO NOT pair her up romantically with ANYONE on this show! I’m not saying they will but I need to put that out there. I will stick with the show as I have for last 9 season but that doesn’t mean I have to like her. Erica, it’s up to you to prove me wrong.
They haven’t paired off any of the team members up to this point, so I can’t see them doing so now.
(Watch, I say that and now I’ll be proven wrong :p. But seriously, though, I agree with you on the “no pairing” thing. Hopefully her character will be in a happy relationship already or something.)
I was referring to the history this show has of making fans want to see various “pairings” within the team. I could easily see Aaron and Emily together at some point but early on in the show they seem to try to “pair” Reid and JJ up. Also as much as I love the Garcia/Derek interactions, and despite the show’s giving them both separate dating lives, it’s gotten a little much last few seasons. Last season it got extremely tiring and nauseating. I really don’t care if her character is in a happy relationship. Honestly, I think it’d be great if she were gay of course it wouldn’t be her primary feature but she’d be more interesting. I heard several seasons ago there was speculation about Emily, the show’s writers or something hadn’t even decided, they said even they didn’t know if Emily was gay, straight or bi-sexual.
Oh, yeah, I had a feeling you were referring to that, too, sorry if my post was unclear on that :). I totally agree with you. There are in-team pairings I do like discussing and all that fun stuff (I’m one who is partial to Reid/JJ, for instance, and I’m cool with Hotch and Emily as a pairing idea, too).
But I don’t expect to ever see any of them actually happen on the show, and I’m totally fine with that. That’s not what the show’s about, and besides that, considering what often happens to the female love interests of the male team members, it’s probably in the female team members’ best interests things stay strictly professional and platonic for that reason alone :p! This show is a rarity in the sense that none of its main characters have wound up in a romantic relationship with each other, and I think that definitely adds to its appeal for some viewers. They’ve managed to last eight years without pairing anyone off, and save for Reid and Rossi*, everyone else seems to be in happy, fulfilling relationships outside the team, so I’m all for leaving that setup as it stands.
I’m personally not bugged by the Morgan/Garcia interaction in general, but you raise a very fair complaint-I can see why some people feel it’s way overdone at times. Especially considering the seriousness and time sensitivity of the cases they’re working.
That would be cool if they made her character a lesbian, it’d be a neat change of pace. The show does seem to have a very strong pro-gay attitude in general (something I’ve always appreciated), so it wouldn’t be too out of the realm of possibility. And that makes perfect sense about Emily, too-I’ve no problem believing she would be the sort who would’ve, at the very least, explored her sexuality a little further.
*(I will say that I do hope Rossi and Reid can find their own romantic happiness down the line, too.)
*Nine years, not eight. Yay, math :p.
Did Jeanne Tripplehorn want to leave? Or was this an executive decision?
I think I read somewhere that Tripplehorn’s contract was up and she decided not to return. Include me with the ones who just couldn’t stand her character. I don’t think she added anything to the show. I don’t have a problem with JLH joining the cast. I’ll reserve judgment until I see what they do with her and how she meshes with the other cast members. I’ve liked her in some things and not liked her in others.
I believe when she signed on it was specifically for one season, per her wish.
Oh, really? Hadn’t heard that.
I do hope that it was her decision to leave for her own personal reasons, and not because she felt unaccepted by fans or the powers that be forced her out or something. It’s a shame she wasn’t able to better connect with many viewers…I liked her, personally.
Me too, I think we are in minority as to those who liked her. I loved that she was married and the guy who played him, wish we could have gotten more of that. I think if she’d wanted to stay the show would have kept her but I got the feeling she had other projects she wanted to work on. But as far as I know or remember her leaving had nothing to do with feeling unaccepted by the fans. In fact I remember reading after the finale that Erica said the low key exit was Tripplehorn’s idea. After discussing Alex’s exit, I assume with Erica, and how it would happen, with all the past Emily drama they thought it would be a better exit, no big production. “Quiet” character, quiet exit, I think it was handled very well but I will miss her.
I think so, too. But hey, that’s the great thing about this show, every character has its fans, even if there’s only a few of them. I liked her marriage, too, and seeing how she and her husband balanced their lives together and separately. I thought we got some intriguing backstory on her this past season with the episode where she saw her family again and then all the stuff with Ethan, and it’s a shame that we won’t get to learn more about those parts of her life and past. Plus, I liked her interaction with the team, particularly Rossi and Reid.
That’s good, then, if that’s how it all went down-I’m glad she was able to leave on her own terms and do what made her happy and that the split was amicable. I like the way they wrapped things up with her, too-her getting into that cab at the end left so many possibilities (going back to her husband, going back to teaching, doing something else entirely), and I like that she and Reid got to have a touching little heart-to-heart before she left, that they got to say goodbye to each other, sad though the scene was. And for those of us who tend to be quiet and stay in the background in our everyday lives, it was nice to have a character like her to relate to and appreciate.
I mean, GOOD for her for getting back on TV… with a major role.
Is she particularly fit for this type of show? Not really.
Another brunette, what a surprise.
Talk about the most random thing ever. LOL Although, I can’t lie, I am excited for this. Jennifer Love Hewitt has always been an actress I really liked. I was hoping she would have a huge film career, but it seems TV seems to be where she has all her success. I’m hoping this will another success for her!
I totally agree! criminal minds is one of my favourite shows, Jennifer Love Hewitt seems nice, and I’m hoping whatever character she plays will work well. If it doesn’t work out I’m sure the writers will come up with some serial killer to finish her off.
This is not so bad. By the time these series (including the CSIs) get long in the tooth, it does not matter who walks in the characters’ shoes. There have been some engaging personalities and breakout stars, along with favorites in the casts, and the changes are welcome to keep the telling of the stories fresh. Am surprised CM remains so highly rated as the stories are so dark and unpleasant without much in the way of light. JLH will not bring down the show, people. It would keep on keeping on anyway.
I am happy about it she was good in ghost whisperer and she did a damn good job in SVU so I am not going to write the show off I will give it a few episodes to get their footing before I judge it
Can’t say that I dislike her… I really love the show, so this is certainly NO reason to stop watching. And I always thought that Blake should go with her husband, so… bring it on.
I like JLH but agree really bad choice. Sorry she is so not right for CM. It would take a lot of convincing to change my mind.
JLH can be a good actress, it all depends on how her role is written and if she is going to play a goodie two shoes like in Ghost Whisperer or if she is going to play someone who is a little more down to earth. As long as she doesn’t cry every episode and they focus on her face and not her chest. It might work and that is a BIG might.
Nope. I’m not good with this! Wth!!! First blake and now her? Just leave it for gods sake!
Meh. I’m not the biggest Jennifer Love Hewitt fan, but she has occasionally done some good work. I have to reserve judgement until I actually see what her character is like on the show.
YES! I love her acting