Criminal Minds

Las Vegas Now has a written transcript of an interview done with Matthew Gray Gubler back in May. It’s excellent, giving some details as to how he approaches his role. He also mentions the rough time that poor Dr. Reid has had as of late.

“I’ve been kidnapped three times, held hostage twice, I’ve watched my best friend kill a man, I’ve seen a kid commit suicide in front of me, I’ve been shot and even set on fire,” Gubler explained.

The transcript also mentions his summer hiatus project, in which he plays someone on the opposite side of the law in “How To Be A Serial Killer” - after playing someone who catches the killers, I bet it must be fun to try the killer role for a short time too!

The entire transcript is below the cut.

Alyson McCarthy, Reporter
Profiling ‘Criminal Minds’ Actor Matthew Gray Gubler

May 17, 2007 12:46 AM EDT

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Profiling ‘Criminal Minds’ Actor Matthew Gray Gubler
WEB EXTRA: Full Interview With Star of CBS Hit ‘Criminal Minds’
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Matthew Gray Gubler takes us deep in the minds of serial killers in the role of Dr. Spencer Reid, an FBI profiler on the CBS hit drama, “Criminal Minds.”

Every Wednesday night, Matthew Gray Gubler takes us deep in the minds of serial killers in the role of Dr. Spencer Reid, an FBI profiler on the CBS hit drama, “Criminal Minds.”

And just like the character he plays, Gubler was born and raised in Las Vegas. Gubler sat down with Channel 8 Eyewitness News reporter Alyson McCarthy — only this time he was the one being profiled.

Matthew Gray Gubler said, “I never in a million years thought I would be an actor.”

But there he is every Wednesday night playing the part of the eccentric genius Dr. Spencer Reid. It was a role he snagged on just his second acting audition, ever.

As an FBI profiler on “Criminal Minds,” Gubler portrays a relentless stalker of the insane, walking that fine line of being just crazy enough to navigate the twisted psyches of human monsters.

His character becomes progressively more tormented as the seasons go on. But then again, the last two seasons have been very rough on Gubler’s character.

“I’ve been kidnapped three times, held hostage twice, I’ve watched my best friend kill a man, I’ve seen a kid commit suicide in front of me, I’ve been shot and even set on fire,” Gubler explained.

It’s enough to drive a man to drugs — hence, Dr. Reid’s heroin addiction of late — and the concern of his hardcore fans.

“My fans are like, ‘hey Reid, you got to get off those drugs, you’re just too smart for that.’ And I’m like, hey, guys, don’t yell at me, I don’t write the stuff,” he continued.

And you may be surprised to hear he doesn’t read it all either. “I’m often times butchering the script, but no one stops me because I say it with such authority.”

Gubler says he deliberately keeps himself in the dark each episode when it comes to who the killer really is. “I don’t think I should know who it is because Spencer Reid doesn’t know who it is. So, that makes it a lot more fun and more engaging in my own head if I can try to figure it out as we’re doing it.”

There are other similarities, as well, between Gubler’s on-and-off-screen personas. Like Dr. Spencer Reid, Gubler was also born in Las Vegas.

He was raised in a quiet neighborhood near Bob Baskin Park and even attended the Las Vegas Academy of Peforming Arts high school. And like Dr. Reid, Gubler has been infatuated with magic since he was a child.

In fact, Gubler admits he’s quite superstitious and refuses to wear matching socks. “I’ve worn matching socks just once in the past ten years and I sprained my ankle. And it’s also a real time saver if you don’t have to worry about matching up your socks,” he said.

And it doesn’t take long to realize that the unlike the intense character he portrays, this former fashion model turned actor doesn’t take himself too seriously.

“Luckily, I’ve always had incredibly low expectations of myself, but high standards. So, the two have merged quite well. But I’m still flabergasted by all the success,” Gubler added.

It’s a wave this Las Vegas native says he’ll ride until he’s bucked off. But don’t look for this rising star to sink in Hollywood’s quicksand. Gubler, who also directs films and paints, has a strong sense of self.

Besides, he says he’s not searching for fame. What he’s looking for is even more elusive — recognition as the world’s greatest badminton player. “I picked up the racket two years ago and suddenly felt like a Jedi.”

You can expect to see more of this rising star. Gubler has just started a new project on his two-month hiatus from “Criminal Minds.” But this time, he gets to be one of the bad guys. He’s starring in an upcoming independent film called “How To Be a Serial Killer.”

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Note, you can go to the Las Vegas Now website and search for Matthew Gray Gubler and the second search result is the video of this interview, but the site is just really badly laid out, so much so that I can’t even link to it directly.

(Photo source - buddytv.com)