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Two Key Cast Members Ready to Walk From CBS’s ‘Criminal Minds’

May 7, 2013  •  Post A Comment

The long-running CBS crime drama "Criminal Minds" may have a cast shakeup in the works, given that two of the show’s stars have turned down offers from CBS and show producer ABC Studios, reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com.

The actors are Kirsten Vangsness and A.J. Cook, who play Penelope Garcia and Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, respectively.

Meanwhile, Shemar Moore, who portrays Derek Morgan, is "deep in negotiations," although the two sides aren’t close on settling on pay, the story notes.

In good news for the show’s chances of getting a renewal, stars Thomas Gibson and Joe Mantegna are close to new agreements, although no deals have been made yet. The studio and the network have given the stars until the end of today to sign in order for the show to receive a renewal, the piece adds.

As for Vangsness and Cook, Andreeva writes that the pair are negotiating together and "have decided to take a stand on the treatment of female cast members on the show as the two have consistently been been paid less than half of what all of their male counterparts — not just stars Gibson and Mantegna — are making."

With the latest offers from ABC Studios and CBS "again positioning them well below all other cast members, I hear Vangsness and Cook are willing to walk if they don’t get some parity with their co-stars," Andreeva writes.

 

3 Comments

  1. Without Kirsten Vangsness and A.J. Cook on the show, I will NOT be watching.

  2. While both characters are great and add a lot to the series, a series that’s been on as long as CRIMINAL MINDS could survive a minor cast shakeup. The two actresses ARE in the right, though – they deserve similar pay to the male cast members, particularly Vangsness, whose character is important to the series. It could survive without her but it shouldn’t have to. The series makes a LOT of money in the various forms of syndication it has been sold into.

  3. They should sue CBS for discrimination….their characters are as important as their male counterparts.
    ….I can’t believe things like this still happen in this country….I guess the females still have a big glass on top of their future…

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