Bet You Forgot These Criminal Minds Stars Are Friends Alumni
By some miracle of fate, their arcs were very similar.
Summary
- Today, it's hard to separate Criminal Minds from the actors who have been with the show for years.
- That's why it's always a surprise to see beloved BAU agents in other projects.
- For example, many Friends viewers are shocked to meet two Criminal Minds stars in very similar storylines on the sitcom.
Today, the names of Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Paget Brewster, Aisha Tyler and Adam Rodriguez are synonymous with the fan-favorite FBI procedural Criminal Minds. All of these actors play members of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), which has been solving the most gruesome serial murder cases on screen for nearly two decades.
However, all of these actors have impressive filmographies behind them, and their faces can be found in the most surprising places. For example, those who rewatch the sitcom Friends (let's face it, we all do it from time to time) are often startled to recognize two Criminal Minds stars in the young ladies who portrayed the love interests for the male part of the Manhattan gang. What's more, by a wondrous coincidence, they had very similar arcs on the show.
Season 4’s Actress
Remember Kathy, an actress who dated both Joey and Chandler in Season 4? It is hard to recognize her in that role with the short haircut, but the actress who played her is Paget Brewster, our beloved unit chief on Criminal Minds. In fact, this was Brewster's first real acting job, and it clearly showed her talent.
Kathy was a recurring character with a memorable six-episode storyline Chandler first saw her at Central Perk and instantly developed a crush on her. However, it turned out that Joey was already seeing her, so Chandler had to hide his feelings, which gradually turned into love.
Eventually, Kathy also fell for Chandler and left Joey, which created a lot of tension between the friends and became a perfect source for comedy. Just remember the time Chandler had to sit in a wooden box to earn Joey's forgiveness!
Unfortunately, Kathy and Chandler's romance was fleeting. Despite their undeniable chemistry, Chandler's insecurities got the better of him. He accused the actress of infidelity, which ultimately led to their breakup.
Season 9’s Paleontology Professor
Aisha Tyler is the second Criminal Minds star to appear in Seasons 9 and 10 of Friends. Interestingly, her arc almost mirrored that of Paget Brewster, only this time the love triangle involved Ross instead of Chandler.
Ross first met Tyler's character, Charlie Wheeler, in Central Perk and was instantly smitten with the beautiful and smart paleontology professor. But she mentioned dating men far more successful than Ross, so he hesitated to ask her out, leading to Joey making the first move.
However, Joey's raw magnetism didn't entertain the girl for long. Their extremely different levels of intelligence soon struck Charlie, and she left Joey to begin a relationship with Ross. Their romance was rather uneventful and ended in Season 10 on the expected note - an even smarter man won Charlie's heart.
This was far from Aisha Tyler's first acting role, and she did it as usual - with the elegance and brilliance familiar to all Criminal Minds fans. Although she never met Paget Brewster on the set of the sitcom, they were destined to meet in 2015 while filming the FBI procedural and become real-life friends for years to come.