The Resilience of Paget Brewster: From Firing to Revival on Criminal Minds
Paget Brewster, known for her role as Emily Prentiss on Criminal Minds, shared her experience of being fired and rehired on the show. She revealed that she and A.J. Cook were let go after a backdoor pilot for a spin-off series was not well-received by Les Moonves, the former CBS president. Despite her initial departure, Brewster returned to the show after her agent intervened with CBS. Cook also rejoined the main cast in season 7. Brewster later left the show in 2012 due to her anger towards the network but eventually returned in season 12 in 2016. She advocated for equal pay for female cast members and successfully negotiated higher fees. The show was revived as Criminal Minds: Evolution in 2022, with Brewster reprising her role. Criminal Minds season 19 is set to premiere on Paramount+ on May 28.