In an interview, Patinkin explained that he didn’t feel comfortable with the a lot of the subject matter covered on the show and decided it wasn’t something he wanted to be a part of.
It would be years before he finally explained his departure.
Mandy Patinkin was the original star of the show.
Patinkin played Senior Supervisory Special Agent Jason Gideon, the head of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU).