"Sons of Anarchy" star Harold Perrineau lands a major recurring role in the "Criminal Minds" Season 12. The ever-popular long-running CBS procedural drama continues to beef up its ensemble in the wake of the high-profile exits of Thomas Gibson and Shemar Moore.
According to Variety, Perrineau will play a former Federal Bureau Investigation agent Calvin Shaw who was incarcerated for killing one of his informants in "Criminal Minds" Season 12. His casting comes after Gibson was fired from the said show following an on-set altercation with a producer.
Perrineau's character has a run-in with an unnamed Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) agent, and the team must determine whether Shaw is a friend or foe in the "Criminal Minds," TV Line reported. He is no longer working with any part of the government as he is behind bars.
Prior to Gibson's highly-publicized exit, longtime star Moore also left in the "Criminal Minds" series last March to see what else he is capable of. He starred since the pilot and exited after 11 years and probably 103 broken doors and 214 tackles.
Moore's character Derek Morgan in "Criminal Minds" was abducted, tortured, and nearly killed. He chose to step away from the BAU to spend time with his wife Savannah (Rochelle Aytes) and baby son Hank, reasoning not so dissimilar from Moore's own.
In the "Criminal Minds," Perrineau's casting comes amidst a season that has added Adam Rodriguez and Damon Gupton as new series regulars, and promoted Paget Brewster, who was already returning for a short arc as Emily Prentiss, to the full-time series regular status. Lastly, Aisha Tyler was similarly upped to the full-time return as series regular.
Perrineau first made waves on the small screen as the wheelchair-bound narrator on HBO's "Oz" and made cameo appearances on different shows within the "CSI" and "Law & Order" franchises. He is most recently seen in Amazon's legal drama "Goliath" from director David E. Kelley. His other TV credits also include "Constantine" and "Sons of Anarchy" as a baddie who did the worst thing ever.
Perrineau's character will first air later this winter in the "Criminal Minds" Season 12. Excellent timing for Perrineau's casting, as the series will return to CBS from its relatively short winter hiatus tonight, Jan. 4, at 9/8c ET.
Watch the video about Harold Perrineau to play good cop-turned bad in "Criminal Minds":