Mandy Patinkin is a great talent, but anytime he loses creative control, he walks. He’s been great in everything I’ve ever seen him in. The only trouble is that he doesn’t like doing the same role for very long. So it is no surprise that he is leaving his current show, Criminal Minds. It’s sort of surprising that he lasted as long as he did.
The first role that I saw him in and was greatly impressed was Sunday in the Park with George, a musical about George Suerat the post impressionist pointillist painter. His voice is great and his acting bang on spot. Great stuff.
His best recent role was as the Grim Reaper Rube on the amazingly fun Showtime show Dead Like Me. Rube was kind of the head Reaper of a little group of misfits that had to help people die at certain times in certain places. It seldom went the way it was supposed to. This was a show I was really sad to see just fade away.
Basically, Mandy is like all great stars, he just plays himself in the roles he gets. Which is fine, he has a nice disarming smile and looks mean when he quints. I only watched a few episodes of Criminal Minds, but it is too bad for the show that he is leaving.
I expect to see him in another great show soon, for an episode or so anyway.
