Criminal Minds Finds Its Replacement for Thomas Gibson

Criminal Mindshas found its replacement for actor Thomas Gibson, who was fired from the show in August after allegedly raging out on set and kicking a producer.

Damon Gupton, who you might remember from appearances on Bates Motel and Empire, has been tapped to play special agent Stephen Walker from the Behavioral Analysis Program on CBS' long-running drama, the network announced Friday. He'll make his debut in this season's eighth episode, playing a skilled profiler with special spy-hunting talents.

Thomas Gibson fired from Criminal Minds following on-set altercation

"Our BAU family is growing," said Erica Messer, executive producer and showrunner. "We're excited to have Damon join the show and work alongside our amazing cast and crew."

As previously reported, Gibson was originally set to receive a two-episode suspension, but ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios only needed a day after the well-publicized incident to decide the actor, who had been with the the show since it premiered in 2005, would not be returning. Gibson will appear in the season premiere and is expected to appear in another episode, but it's unclear as of now how he'll be written out of the show.

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