Criminal Minds: Zach Gilford on Originally Auditioning to Play Reid
· BCPosted in: Paramount+, TV | Tagged: Criminal Minds, criminal minds: evolution, Matthew Gray Gubler, zach gilford
Criminal Minds: Zach Gilford on Originally Auditioning to Play Reid
Criminal Minds fans, how would you feel if Zach Gilford had been Reid for the show's entire run instead of Matthew Gray Gubler?
Published Wed, 09 Sep 2026 12:37:09 -0500
by Jeremy Konrad
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Article Summary
- Zach Gilford revealed he auditioned to play Spencer Reid on Criminal Minds before Matthew Gray Gubler won the role.
- Gilford said Gubler made Reid iconic on Criminal Minds, admitting his own version would have been less quirky.
- After joining Criminal Minds: Evolution, Gilford joked that without Reid around, the show now feels like his territory.
- Gilford would love a Criminal Minds face-off with Reid, teasing fans about why the beloved profiler has stayed away.
And to think that the history of Criminal Minds was almost completely different. While Zach Gilford has become a prolific cast member in the show's continuation, Criminal Minds: Evolution, he almost became the actor behind the franchise's most popular character, Reid. Turns out, after Friday Night Lights ended, the actor auditioned for the role of Reid, but the part went to Matthew Gray Gubler, who played Reid for all 15 seasons of the show's original run and became the most popular character in the process. Gilford has no hard feelings, though, as he told EW.
Criminal Minds With Anyone Else As Reid Is A No
"[Gubler] is so great at what he did and obviously what he turned that character into. It would've been more boring if it was me. I'm just not as quirky and fun. I remember being like, 'I'm gonna get on the CBS show, and I'm gonna be a TV star, like, so excited. And the show was called Quantico then. I'll always remember. And obviously, I didn't get a callback. He, of course, got his shot later: "It just was so funny when this role came up to be like, 'Oh, yeah, finally I'm on that show. Who's cool now?' They'll never kill me off. Reid's not here anymore. It's my show now!"
He would also love it if Reid would come back for a showdown between their characters: "I would love that. I love trolling people. I'm not on social media anymore, but when I was for a little bit, I would just troll people. They'd be like, 'Where's Reid?' I'm like, 'He's scared of me,'" he recalls with a laugh. "That's why he didn't come back. He only shows up for the funeral when I'm not there." He is referring to Reid's season 18 cameo, where he briefly appeared in a funeral scene.
It would be super fun to see that happen. Criminal Minds fans would love it. I have been a Gilford fan since FNL, and I am glad he has continued to land roles that showcase his talents in the years since the show ended. But yeah, there is nobody else who could have possibly played Reid as well as Gubler.
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