And then, you’re free to have the opposite.
Ive been in both situations.
Ive had it be something that was like, Man, I had the greatest time in the world.
I hope this thing goes on forever.
And of course, it goes on for the next 10 seconds and its gone.
Whats it like to be the guy that gets to antagonize everybody?
ZACH GILFORD: Yeah.
I was luckily set up for success.
I got to get my bearings on the show and be confident in what I was doing.
I got to work with Joe [Mantegna], and then Adam [Rodriguez] and A.J.
Its all in good fun and they appreciate it.
So, Ive just been so lucky.
And its not just the cast, its the crew, its the producers, and its the writers.
Its just the most respectful kind and fun work environment.
Sometimes subtlety can be powerful.
And I was like, Awesome, Id love to come back.
Well see what happens, but were going through some pretty intense moments here.
GILFORD: For me, it was on the page.
I just say things to fuck with him.
Im just a voice in his head.
Its all things that he thinks I would say, or part of his subconscious is saying.
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Its just manifested in the personification of [my character].
They nailed it pretty good, so it was just a matter of playing what was written.
It seemed very realistic to me.
I was very much like, Yeah, I can see how this can happen.
It plays really well because it seems like this guy just appears out of nowhere.
We didnt rely on CGI, or anything like that.
It was definitely funny and goofy to do, but I think the payoff was a really cool effect.
Zach, is part of Elias Voits goal specifically to get under the skin of this team?
GILFORD: Its a little bit of both.
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MANTEGNA: Weve been together a long time.
Thats the beauty of it and also what keeps it interesting.
Otherwise, it would be very much cut-and-dry and black-and-white, and it certainly isnt.
Thats whats intriguing and what keeps people watching.
These two kept us tuning in season after season.
In that moment, were you really whispering something to Adam Rodriguez?
Are you told then what is actually being said, or did you find out later?
GILFORD: Thats one of the fun and annoying things about TV.
They write down, Voit whispers in Alvess ear, and then he reacts.
And Im like, What am I saying?!
I can do it, but Id love to know what I said.
And sometimes you get, We dont know yet.
Luckily this time, they were able to tell me what it was.
It wasnt until the day of filming that they we like, Okay, so heres whats going on.
I was like, Cool, thanks.
Joe, what was your reaction to learning what the plans for all of this are?
MANTEGNA: In Rossis case, youre talking about somebody with a wealth of experience.
Hes certainly not the youngest guy in the building, by far.
So, theres a frustration there, but youve gotta do your job.
GILFORD: The thing is, he is actually way more mentally stable than people think.
I think every move of his is calculated.
Thats why he did that.
Reboot series showrunner Erica Messer answers whether we’ll see Derek in the upcoming season.
Criminal Minds: Evolutionis available to stream on Paramount+.
Check out the trailer:
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