Criminal Minds has gone through a couple of big casting changes over the last few months. Veteran actor Shemar Moore kicked things off when he left the series last spring, and he recently revealed on Larry King Now that he got one really great gift when he left the CBS series. Apparently, that gift was a particular card from his mother, that he keeps at his home as a reminder. Here's what Shemar Moore had to say about the gift that helped him when he left Criminal Minds.
My mother gave me a card when I left Criminal Minds. And it sits on my mantle; it's very simple, it says, 'Leap, and the net will appear.' You know, I'm raised by a single mom, a white mom, I'm biracial. She defied all kinds of odds. You talk about a mentor and she is. And so I took that card to mean, 'Believe in yourself, never quit. If it scares you, run at it. If it knocks you down, get up and keep running at it. Eventually that fear will turn into your strength.' It may sound cheesy, but I tell my fans all the time that I'd like to think [they] are witnessing the journey of a dreamer. It's not about being a superstar.
We've known for a while that Shemar Moore quit Criminal Minds because he wanted to be "fueled" creatively in different ways. Criminal Minds has always been a case-of-the-week procedural, and after more than a decade on the air, it's easy to see why some of the cast members would want to take on new challenges, even if that means leaving the series. Clearly, Shemar Moore's mom has always been an inspiration for him and has helped him to not look back when he's had to make a tough decision such as leaving the TV drama that made him a household name.
Sometimes the best gifts aren't the most expensive ones. This comment Shemar Moore made to Larry King proves he often values ideas over physical items and that card is the embodiment of him moving forward in his career. We may not see Shemar Moore headlining a movie with Tom Cruise or another a-lister any time soon, but he seems to have major faith in himself and that should lead to other gigs down the line.
Shemar Moore hasn't had any trouble gaining work since he left Criminal Minds. He did work for the animated Justice League vs. Teen Titans, and he also appeared in the romantic flick The Bounce Back, which he also produced. Heading into 2017, we'll let you know if Moore has any other big projects on the table.
In the meantime, new episodes of Criminal Minds are set to return on February 1 at 9 p.m. ET, only on CBS. To check out the rest of the midseason TV premiere dates, head here.
