Why Thomas Gibson Was Fired From Criminal Minds

After 12 seasons, actor Thomas Gibson was fired from Criminal Minds, with FBI Special Agent Aaron Hotchner written out of the series. The Criminal Minds’ FBI cast revolved fairly often, with actors choosing to leave the long-lasting show behind to pursue outside interests, but this wasn’t the case for Thomas Gibson. Aaron Hotchner wasn’t officially written out until season 12, episode 6. Hotch left Criminal Minds because the character went into the Witness Protection Program after a serial killer stalked his son. He eventually chose to be a full-time father to Jack rather than return to the BAU.

In 2016, Thomas Gibson was suspended from the Criminal Minds cast due to an on-set physical altercation with one of the writer-producers. After his suspension, Gibson made a public statement of regret for the incident, explaining the quarrel was based on creative differences surrounding an episode he was directing. In an official statement on the suspension from the Criminal Minds team, it was noted Gibson had previously gotten into a dispute with one of the assistant directors, leading to mandatory anger management counseling (via Deadline). However, despite the circumstances, many Criminal Minds viewers want to know if Hotch could return.

Why Thomas Gibson Really Left Criminal Minds

Thomas Gibson’s Conduct On Set Is The Reason Hotch Was Written Out

Thomas Gibson left Criminal Minds in 2016 because he was fired, and while there was a single incident that sparked his suspension, his on-set behavior had reportedly been problematic for a while. Since continuing his role as Agent Hotchner was still up for debate in the two weeks of his suspension, it makes sense it took four episodes to officially write out the character.

The decision to fire Thomas Gibson from Criminal Minds was weighed with past instances of his volatile behavior, as many sources described his tendencies as anger-prone (via Variety). Following the termination, the actor has either taken a break from the screen or struggled to find roles. Since Criminal Minds season 12, Gibson has only appeared in two projects: The 2019 TV film Shadow Wolves and a voice role in the 2017 movie Axis.

Thomas Gibson spoke to Us Weekly after being fired from the show, and it was clear that he deeply regretted no longer being able to continue on with his role as Hotch:

I love Criminal Minds and have put my heart and soul into it for the last 12 years. I had hoped to see it through to the end, but that won’t be possible now. I would just like to say thank you to the writers, producers, actors, our amazing crew and, most importantly, the best fans that a show could ever hope to have.

While Gibson’s firing may have been necessary for protecting the show’s on-set culture and the studio’s liability for repeated instances, Hotch leaving Criminal Minds presented creative issues for the show. Hotch’s exit from Criminal Minds coincided with another original cast member leaving the series, as Derek Morgan actor Shemar Moore departed at the end of season 11. Losing two of the last five remaining original Criminal Minds characters in such a short time risked a drop for the popular series. However, despite the change-up in cast, Criminal Minds is still going strong.

Could Thomas Gibson Return In Criminal Minds: Evolution?

An Agent Hotchner Return In The Reboot Is Unlikely, But Not Impossible

Since he wasn’t killed off, there’s no reason Agent Hotchner can’t join the returning cast for Criminal Minds: Evolution, the Paramount+ reboot. The chances of Thomas Gibson returning to play him, however, are slim to none. Since there’s no real narrative reason to reintroduce even a recast Hotchner, it’s pretty safe to say that Gibson’s legacy with the show is well and truly over. Gibson’s fallout with the crew and other members of the Criminal Minds cast was a huge blow to the show and Gibson’s reputation.

Thomas Gibson was allegedly volatile to the point of being violent on set. He also hasn’t done any significant work since, so the studio has little incentive to rebuild those burned bridges for Criminal Minds: Evolution season 2, even if mediation and resolution were possible. Gibson left Criminal Minds in 2016, and while some cast and crew from that time have since left the show, many remain, and they would probably be unwilling to consider a Hotchner return.

Since there’s not really demand from Criminal Minds fans to see him back, the chances that Thomas Gibson will be among the returning BAU alumni in the Paramount+ reboot are more or less nonexistent.

Season 16 Proves Criminal Minds Still Doesn’t Need Agent Hotchner

Criminal Minds: Evolution Is Still A Hit Without Hotch

Criminal Minds: Evolution was a success without Thomas Gibson. As of now, the main cast of Criminal Minds: Evolution sees Garcia, JJ, Rossi, Prentiss, Dr. Tara Lewis, and Alvez. While some of these characters joined later in Criminal Minds, most of the principal cast is back for season 16, and it’s proved to be a big return after all.

Prentiss has ultimately taken over Hotch’s job, and she does great work fighting for the BAU against Deputy Director Bailey. With the series continuing, it’s clear Thomas Gibson’s Agent Hotch isn’t missed in the same way as Matthew Gray Gubler’s Spencer Reid is.

What Thomas Gibson Has Said About Being Fired From Criminal Minds

The Criminal Minds Actor Puts His Exit Down To A Misunderstanding

After his termination from Criminal Minds, Thomas Gibson gave his side of the story. He explained there was a line in the script that contradicted something that happened earlier in the episode. Thomas Gibson said that he approached writer-producer Virgil Williams and mentioned it but was told it had to stay in the script. According to Gibson (via PEOPLE), he returned to the cast, and the producer:

”
[Williams] came into that room and started coming towards me. As he brushed past me, my foot came up and tapped him on the leg
.”

Thomas Gibson claimed that Virgil Williams would have run into him if he hadn’t moved. Gibson said he had some “choice words” with Williams after that, and he apologized for his comments the next day. However, Gibson said he went home after shooting that scene and then never returned to Criminal Minds, as the production suspended him after that incident:

”
I feel like it took years to make a good reputation and a minute to damage it
.”

What Thomas Gibson Has Done Since Criminal Minds

Gibson Has Only Actively Worked On Three Projects

Since leaving Criminal Minds, Thomas Gibson has only been in a handful of new projects. Between focusing on his family, traveling, and the actor’s strike, it appears there haven’t been a lot of projects that he has chosen to participate in, or casting directors have been less likely to cast him knowing he was fired from a major project.

In 2017, one of those projects was released. Aisha Tyler, one of his Criminal Minds costars, made her feature directorial debut with the Kickstarter-funded Axis. The movie followed an actor in his car for all the action, but the actor took a series of phone calls and listened to the radio throughout the movie, leaving many voice parts to be recorded. Gibson and many of his former Criminal Minds costars lent their voices to the project. Alongside Gibson, Tyler herself, Paget Brewster, Kristen Vangsness, and Adam Rodriguez all did voice work for the movie.

2019 saw the release of the made-for-tv-movie Shadow Wolves. There, Gibson played Colonel Branson, the head of a secret division within the NSA who employed a rogue group of agents and soldiers to do his bidding. The movie didn’t perform particularly well, and it’s actually better known for being the movie that earned Xochitl Gomez, who would go on to play America Chavez in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a Young Artist award.

Aside from those two projects, Gibson is also attached to The Writer’s Bible. He wrote the story for the project and stars in it, about a writer who travels to a secluded cabin in the hopes of battling his writer’s block. It has yet to be released.

With Gibson’s foray into the world of Cameo, which allows fans to connect directly with celebrities to purchase recorded messages, there’s also an indication that he may still want to return to Criminal Minds. Gibson has not discussed the series publicly very often but has willingly answered questions for fans on the platform about his character and time on the show. There’s always the possibility that years after the event that led to his firing, things have changed, and he could potentially return to his best-known role, though the show would need a good reason for his return.

Other Long-Running Shows That Dealt With Similar Firings

Big Name Actors Such As Charlie Sheen Has Been Fired From Their Hit Shows

It is certainly an attention-grabbing moment when an actor on a long-running television show is fired, such as with Thomas Gibson on Criminal Minds, but it is also not an unheard-of instance. There have been plenty of cases in which established shows with actors playing popular characters have been fired, and more often than not, it is also due to on-set behavior. A case similar to Gibson’s situation is the firing of Clayne Crawford from Lethal Weapon. During an episode Crawford directed, costar Damon Wayans was injured during a stunt gone wrong while audio of Crawford screaming on set leaked.

Crawford was fired from his lead role as Martin Riggs at the end of the second season of the show and was replaced by Seann William Scott as a new character. While Lethal Weapon was a hit show, there are other cases of actors who had been around longer only to be fired. Though it was announced as a shared decision, it is speculated that Chevy Chase was fired from Community after using a racial slur on-set following years of conflicts between the actor and other people involved in the show.

Actors Who Were Fired From TV Shows:

These on-set troubles often spill over into the public sphere, which often forces the show to make a change. Following reports of trouble on the set of Grey’s Anatomy, the feuds were addressed during a press conference following the show winning a Golden Globe. In response to the rumors, Isaiah Washington used an offensive slur that seemed to add to the tension of the show while also making Washington appear as a key cause of that tension, leading to his firing.

Perhaps the most notorious and public firing from a long-running show was Charlie Sheen being let go from Two and a Half Men. The comedy series was the biggest show on television at the time but was rocked by scandal following Sheen’s public tirade against those he worked with. After weeks of the actor attacking his colleagues in bizarre rants, the show announced Sheen was fired and Ashton Kutcher was hired as a brand-new character.

Criminal Minds centers on cases of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), a group of elite criminal profilers who analyze the country’s most notorious criminals as they look to anticipate their next moves before they strike again. Starting in 2005, Criminal Minds ran for 15 seasons before getting a revival show, Criminal Minds: Evolution, in 2022.

Cast

Shemar Moore , Joe Mantegna , Kirsten Vangsness , Paget Brewster , Thomas Gibson , Matthew Gray Gubler , A.J. Cook , Mandy Patinkin , Lola Glaudini , Rachel Nichols , Jennifer Love Hewitt , Aisha Tyler

Release Date

September 22, 2005

Seasons

17

Showrunner

Erica Messer