Being introduced into a cast that has been working together for years can be tough, but when Adam Rodriguez did just that on "Criminal Minds," he had the rare benefit of having already been part of a long-running procedural.

Rodriguez is known to today's audiences, likely mostly through his work on "Criminal Minds" and "Criminal Minds: Evolution" and even the "Magic Mike" franchise, which included hosting the short-lived competition series "Finding Magic Mike.

" Before 2010 though, he was mainly known as one of the familiar faces on Rodriguez portrayed Eric Delko, a role Rodriguez nearly walked away from before the final ninth season due to contract disputes, but he ended up sticking around and appeared in every season (per ). That CBS drama ended in 2012, and it was only a few short years later that Rodriguez found himself playing another cop for the network.

"Criminal Minds" was looking for an actor to fill the hole left in their cast after Shemar Moore left the series in 2016 (via ). Rodriguez filled the void as Luke Alvez. According to the actor, the transition was made smoother, mainly because he was immediately treated like family by everyone at "Criminal Minds.

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