The eighth season of ''

Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Jeff Davis that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005. It follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral ...

'' premiered on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

on September 26, 2012. The series was renewed on March 14, 2012. In Canada, season eight aired one day earlier on CTV than on CBS in the United States.

Cast

On February 15, 2012, ''

Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...

'' reported that

Paget Brewster Paget Valerie Brewster ( ; born March 10, 1969) is an American actress. She first received recognition for her recurring role as Kathy on the fourth season of ''Friends''. She gained wider recognition as FBI Supervisory Special Agent Emily Pre ...

(Emily Prentiss) would leave the show once season seven was over. All other main cast members had secured deals for the season. On June 13, 2012, CBS announced that

Jeanne Tripplehorn Jeanne Marie Tripplehorn (born June 10, 1963) is an American actress. She began her career on stage, acting in several plays throughout the early 1990s, including Anton Chekhov's '' Three Sisters'' on Broadway. Her film career began with the ro ...

would join the cast of the show.

Main

Joe Mantegna Joseph Anthony Mantegna (, ; born November 13, 1947) is an American actor best known for starring on CBS's ''Criminal Minds'' since 2007 as FBI Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi. He has voiced the recurring role of mob boss Fat Tony on th ...

as Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi (BAU Senior Agent) *

Shemar Moore Shemar Franklin Moore (born April 20, 1970) is an American actor. His notable roles include Malcolm Winters on ''The Young and the Restless'' (1994–2002, 2004–05, 2014, 2019, 2023), Derek Morgan on ''Criminal Minds'' (2005–17), and the l ...

as Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan (BAU Agent) *

Matthew Gray Gubler Matthew Gray Gubler (, ; born March 9, 1980) is an American actor, best known for his role as criminal profiler Dr. Spencer Reid in the CBS television show ''Criminal Minds'', for which he also directed several episodes. Gubler has appeared in ...

as Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid (BAU Agent) * A. J. Cook as Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau (BAU Agent) *

Kirsten Vangsness Kirsten Vangsness (born July 7, 1972) is an American actress and writer best known for her role as FBI Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia on CBS's ''Criminal Minds'', as well as the spin-off, '' Suspect Behavior'' and '' Beyond Borders''. Early ...

as Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia (BAU Technical Analyst & Co-Communications Liaison) *

as Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Alex Blake (BAU Agent) *

Thomas Gibson Thomas Ellis Gibson (born July 3, 1962) is an American actor and director best known for his roles as Aaron Hotchner on ''Criminal Minds'' (2005–16), Greg Montgomery on '' Dharma & Greg'' (1997–2002) and Daniel Nyland on '' Chicago Hope'' ...

as Supervisory Special Agent Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner (BAU Unit Chief & Co-Communications Liaison)

Recurring

Jayne Atkinson Jayne Atkinson (born 18 February 1959) is a British-American actress. She is best known for the role of Karen Hayes on '' 24'', as well as her Tony Award–nominated roles in '' The Rainmaker'' and '' Enchanted April''. She has also appeared in ...

as Supervisory Special Agent Erin Strauss (BAU Section Chief) * Beth Riesgraf as Maeve Donovan * Mekhai Andersen as Henry LaMontagne *

Nicholas Brendon Nicholas Brendon Schultz (born April 12, 1971), known professionally as Nicholas Brendon, is an American actor and writer. He is best known for playing Xander Harris in the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1997–2003) and Kevin L ...

as Kevin Lynch * Cade Owens as Jack Hotchner *

Bellamy Young Bellamy Young (born Amy Maria Young; February 19, 1970) is an American actress, producer and singer best known as Melody "Mellie" Grant on'' Scandal'' (2012–18), for which she won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress ...

as Beth Clemmons *

Josh Stewart Joshua Regnall Stewart (born February 6, 1977) is an American actor. He had his breakout with a main role as Officer Brendan Finney on the sixth and final season of the NBC crime drama television series ''Third Watch'' (2004–2005). Following ...

as William "Will" LaMontagne Jr. * Skipp Sudduth as Stan Gordinski *

Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor. He is best known for starring as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, and the Joker (character), Joker in various animated DC Comics projects, starting with ''Batm ...

as John Curtis / The Replicator

Episodes

Ratings

Home media

References

;General references *

External links

* {{Criminal Minds 2012 American television seasons 2013 American television seasons Criminal Minds seasons