Mandy Patinkin joined the cast of "Criminal Minds" back in 2005 and his character FBI Special Agent Jason Gideon was both a vital part of the series and a fan favorite. However, his time on there was short-lived. After completing just two seasons and making a few Season 3 appearances, Patinkin left "Criminal Minds" — and the reason for his abrupt departure, at the time, was due to "creative differences," according to Entertainment Weekly.
However, that wasn't necessarily the truth. In fact, Patinkin revealed during a 2012 interview with New York Magazine that he actually regrets ever signing on to do the show. "The biggest public mistake I ever made was that I chose to do Criminal Minds in the first place," he confessed. The "Dead Like Me" star admitted he wasn't a fan of the dark and horrifying crime stories the series focused on. "I never thought they were going to kill and rape all these women every night, every day, week after week, year after year," Patinkin told the outlet. "It was very destructive to my soul and my personality."
The actor added that he was concerned how "Criminal Minds" would subconsciously affect viewers. "Audiences all over the world use this programming as their bedtime story," he noted. "This isn't what you need to be dreaming about." However, given Patinkin's shocking exit, producers had to make sure his character also had a fair sign-off.
