Shemar Moore On His Exit From 'Criminal Minds' And Why He Left: "I'm Proud Of The Way Things Ended For Derek Morgan"
ENTERTAINMENT
Shemar Moore On His Exit From 'Criminal Minds' And Why He Left: "I'm Proud Of The Way Things Ended For Derek Morgan"
25 K
When it comes to the world of crime series, Shemar Moore is no doubt a household name, and this is because of his role on CBS’ ‘Criminal Minds.’
©Criminal Minds (2005) / CBS
Shemar began portraying the character of Derek Morgan on the show back in 2005. He made was cast in the seventh pilot, and from that moment became a television sweetheart.
After 11 seasons and 251 episodes, the actor exited the show in March 2016 in the eighteenth episode of season 11.
However, Shemar had a reason behind his departure from the crime series.
©Criminal Minds (2005) / CBS
The truth behind his exit
During a sit down with TV Guide, Shemar revealed why he chose to end his contract with CBS. He explained that it was solely his decision, and it stemmed from his mother’s life philosophy.
The actor recounted that his mother usually sent him cards, and a particular one which he stumbled upon, read:
"Leap, and the net will appear."
View this post on Instagram
That was when he realized that he had to think outside the box and not settle for just being a star on ‘Criminal Minds.’
"I don’t want to be ordinary. I don’t want to follow. I want to be bold, and I want to see what I’m capable of. So yes, it was my decision. I’ve treated my acting career like school. The Young and the Restless: eight years. [That was] high school. Criminal Minds: college. Now I’m ready for grad school, a Ph.D., whatever you want to call it. I’m just ready to grow. I just want to leap."
Shemar expressed his love for his co-stars and the creators of the show, mainly because they didn’t kill off his character, Derek Morgan.
Talking about his last episode, he said:
"This episode is my proudest moment of Criminal Minds. I’m proud of the way things ended for Derek Morgan."
Fans still miss him
Although it has been years since he left, fans still miss him on the show nevertheless.
how i spend my nights ever since Shemar Moore left Criminal Minds pic.twitter.com/bw36U0yR31
— argan heaux (@hadaddy_) January 15, 2017
Criminal Minds hasn’t been the same since Shemar Moore left
— Jak (@Jaksen_Willis) December 13, 2017
Criminal Minds is so graphic now…
I miss Shemar Moore 😢— 💋 (@finendandyd) August 7, 2019
Criminal Minds isn’t the same without Shemar Moore😭
— Courtney Rich (@courtneyrrich) July 11, 2017
We are glad that things ended on an excellent note for Shemar Moore and the creators of the show. It is wonderful that no love was lost!
