Criminal Minds has had an impressive run that’s lasted over 250 episodes, and the revival, Evolution. is still going strong. It's likely that some fans may continue to watch the OG episodes and in the process, catch something new about the procedural. Whether that’s a subtle reference to something or a young actor who guest starred before they made it big, streaming has made it easy to spot something you never caught before. On that note, some may not know about the cameo from Matthew Gray Gubler’s dad and the story behind it.
Reddit user darcyxstyles once took to the Criminal Minds subreddit to share a photo from an episode they were watching. It was then that the fan pointed out that MGG’s dad, John Gubler, had a brief cameo on the CBS drama. His photo is used to depict Reginald Clements, a paranoid arsonist and conspiracy theorist who abducted children and imprisoned them in his home. The elder Gubler doesn’t appear in person, but it’s a fun little cameo nonetheless. Not only that, but his face also pops up in an episode that Matthew directed, Season 12, Episode 6, “Elliot’s Pond."
So why did this happen? Well, evidently, the original actor who was set to play Reginald had to drop out, so Matthew Gray Gubler texted his dad at the last moment to see if he’d be able to provide a photo for the episode. Ultimately, John said he’d “been waiting for this moment my whole life” and sent his son around 50 pictures to choose from. Why he wasn’t able to actually make an in-person cameo throughout the show’s initial run is unknown, especially since it sounds like he was wanting to. However, there's a chance that John's day job could've played into that.
According to Las Vegas Review-Journal, John Gubler is a veteran Las Vegas Valley attorney, having worked in that capacity for over 45 years. I'd imagine that it'd be tough to step away from a job like that, even if it was just for a week or so. While that's not the confirmed reason for Gubler not physically appearing on the procedural, it wouldn't be surprising if his job played into the matter. Still, at the very least, he was just happy to be included in Criminal Minds for once, despite the fact that his picture was connected to a killer within the fictional universe.
Matthew Gray Gubler isn't involved on Evolution, and I'd say that our chances of seeing John Gubler's face on TV again are slim. When it comes to the former, one can surely hope that MGG will return but, for now, Matthew's character, Dr. Spencer Reid, will continue to be on sabbatical. Hopefully, if he ever does return, perhaps his dad can get a full-blown appearance and not just a simple cameo via a photo.
Right now, those with a Paramount+ subscription can watch all of Criminal Minds to see if they can point out any the fun Spencer Reid Easter Egg and other fun tidbits they might have missed.
