Zach Gilford’s exit from Criminal Minds got here as a surprise to some — but could he return in the long run?
“Me and [showrunner] Erica Messer, we had this concept of a derivative,” Gilford, 44, teased exclusively to Us. “I’d like to do a derivative. The hard thing unfortunately is it’s a joint studio. It’s Disney and Paramount. It’s type of hard to persuade them to do it.”
Gilford wouldn’t mind reprising the complex role of serial killer Elias Voit, who went from committing disturbing crimes to helping out the FBI’s Behavioral Evaluation Unit.
“It’s just convincing them to make it because nobody’s going to offer the rights to another person and so they don’t wish to own it together,” he continued. “So unfortunately, I doubt it’ll ever occur, but there are dreams of it. … Let’s start a web based movement or whatever we do nowadays.”
After playing Voit for 4 seasons since 2022, Gilford wasn’t able to say goodbye.
“We are able to each hope [my character Voit will return] but all I do know is I’m not there filming without delay,” he said of his potential return for season 20 of Criminal Minds: Evolution. “It was hard to say goodbye. It definitely was one in every of my favorite characters I’ve ever gotten to play and partially because what a present.”
He continued: “Every season I got to do a special side of this character. It wasn’t like I used to be just doing the identical thing yearly.”
For Gilford, Criminal Minds was the proper challenge, adding, “To offer this guy some redemption and exit on a superb guy note — so to talk — was nice. It’s weird. You wrap a show and plenty of times you’re like, ‘I don’t know if I’m coming back next yr and if we’re going to have one other season on the whole.’ On this, I did know that it was the tip.”
Gilford told Us he struggled to say goodbye to Criminal Minds.
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“It was a bummer and I’m really like, ‘I’m not good with emotions,’” he shared. “So I literally — before they even officially wrapped — I had a sense it was the last take. I just left. I didn’t say goodbye to anyone. I just snuck out. They’re like, ‘Zach, where are you? Where’d you go?’ After which a couple of people saw me driving out of my automotive. I’m like, ‘Bye, I’ll goodbye.’”
While the Thursday, July 23, season finale of Criminal Minds hinted at Voit’s exit, the door was left open for a return. Gilford, nonetheless, has remained booked and busy.
“I’ve been working since I left for probably the most part. I’ve had some downtime with my kids, which is all the time the perfect. But I got to do a Christmas romcom, which was so fun,” he teased. “It was just so nice to do something nice and cute. Then I went and did an Evil Dead movie, which was the exact opposite.”
Criminal Minds is now streaming on Paramount+.