Mantegna hire settles "Mind" matter

By Nellie Andreeva

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Emmy nominee Joe Mantegna is set to join the cast of CBS' drama "Criminal Minds," replacing Mandy Patinkin.

The hire caps weeks of exhaustive searching for a new lead on the two-year-old crime drama after star Patinkin abruptly left last month because of "creative differences." Among those in talks for the role was Harvey Keitel, as the Hollywood Reporter reported last week.

"We are very excited to tell you all that Joe Mantegna is officially joining the cast of 'Criminal Minds,"' the show's executive producer/showrunner, Ed Bernero, wrote in a posting on the "Minds" fan blog during the weekend. "Thanks for hanging with us, everyone."

Details about Mantegna's character as well as when he will be introduced have yet to be determined. Patinkin's character, Jason Gideon, was the leader of the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit at the center of the show.

Mantegna is nominated for an Emmy for his role on USA Network's miniseries "The Starter Wife." He has strong ties with CBS. He co-starred on two CBS series, "Joan of Arcadia" and "First Monday," as well as on the network's miniseries "The Last Don," which earned him an Emmy nomination.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter