Summary
- Lola Glaudini left Criminal Minds in Season 2, rumor has it, due to her unhappiness living in Los Angeles, marking the departure of the character Elle Greenaway.
- Elle Greenaway's exit from the show was a result of Lola Glaudini's decision to leave the series, although the exact reasons for her departure have not been revealed.
- Elle Greenaway's departure from Criminal Minds paved the way for the introduction of fan-favorite character Emily Prentiss.
Criminal Minds saw various changes in its core team throughout its run, like Lola Glaudini’s Elle Greenway leaving Criminal Minds in Season 2. Police crime dramas are very popular on TV, and while there have been a variety of successful shows from this branch, one of the most popular ones in the last 20 years is Criminal Minds. Created by Jeff Davis, Criminal Minds premiered on CBS in 2005 and came to an end in 2020 after 15 seasons. However, the BAU returned for season 16 as a soft reboot, Criminal Minds: Evolution.
As Criminal Minds progressed, some characters left for different reasons, and some of them left quite early, as was the case of Elle Greenaway. The original team in Criminal Minds consisted of Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin), Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson), Elle Greenaway, Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore), Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler), Jennifer Jareau (A.J. Cook), and Penelope Garcia (Kristen Vangsness), of which only Reid, JJ, and Penelope stayed until the final season. The first one to go was Elle Greenaway, a Supervisory Special Agent with the BAU whose specialty was sexual offense crimes — and her exit was due to actress Lola Glaudini.
What Happened To Elle Greenaway In Criminal Minds
Speaking to LA Times in 2006, Criminal Minds writer and producer Ed Bernero shared that Glaudini was leaving the show to return to the East Coast as she was unhappy living in Los Angeles. This hasn’t been confirmed by Lola Glaudini, who has never revealed her reasons for leaving the show. Elle Greenaway, presumably, left Criminal Minds because Lola Glaudini wanted to leave the series.
Criminal Minds gave proper closure to Elle Greenaway, though there were some tough events that led to her departure. Greenaway was shot by a suspect who broke into her home, and while she made a full physical recovery, she was left with PTSD. Greenaway returned to work despite Hotch and Reid expressing their concerns that she had returned too early, but she was triggered by a case involving a serial rapist, and she ended up killing the suspect. After missing a psychological evaluation, she returned to the BAU only to hand in her badge and gun and officially resign. Elle Greenaway was replaced by Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster), who went on to become a fan-favorite character.
Elle Greenaway’s time in Criminal Minds was short, and unfortunately, she isn’t ed fondly. Elle Greenaway is still considered among the most disliked main characters in the show’s history. It’s unlikely that Lola Glaudini will open up about her reasons to leave Criminal Minds now that more than a decade has ed, and ultimately, Elle Greenaway’s departure made way for the arrival of one of the show’s most memorable characters.
Criminal Minds Nearly Lost One Of Its Best Characters After Episode 1
Criminal Minds notably lost many of its early cast before the series finale, but one of the best characters almost left after only the pilot.
Will Lola Glaudini Return For Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2?
With Criminal Minds getting a continuation on Paramount+, fans have been left wondering if previous cast will return for the series. The first season saw several of the agents from the final season of the original series reprise their roles for a season-long case, making the show even more serialized instead of focusing on standalone episodes. The only series regular missing from the Paramount+ series has been Matthew Gray Gubler’s Spencer Reid of that final group of cast .
There has been some discussion, however, of whether previous agents, like Lola Glaudini’s Elle Greenaway, could make an appearance. Though she left the FBI in Season 2, it’s not unheard of for agents from one agency to another, or to even become private detectives in other crime procedurals. Criminal Minds could see past characters return in that capacity. Considering it’s been so long since Elle left Criminal Minds, however, it does seem unlikely. Given that Lola Glaudini hasn’t talked much about her time on the show since leaving, she might not even be interested in a return to Criminal Minds.
What Lola Glaudini Did After Leaving Criminal Minds
After leaving Criminal Minds, Glaudini appeared in the movies Drive-Thru, That Awkward Moment, and She’s in Portland. She's also produced and directed short films as well as participated in numerous theater workshops and the streaming series The Offer, exploring multiple avenues of the performing arts. She's also been teaching in recent years, but her time on camera isn't completely over.
Lola Glaudini has appeared in crime series other than Criminal Minds as well. She’s had guest-starring stints in both Lethal Weapon and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. While the former has since been canceled, the latter is a long-running part of the Law & Order franchise. Lola Glaudini appeared in Law & Order: SVU twice, playing different characters in each appearance. Much like Criminal Minds, the series focuses on cases of the week with a few longer arcs playing out throughout the seasons. Glaudini played on the other side of the scenes for Law & Order: SVU though, appearing as a witness instead of the FBI agent she played in Criminal Minds and Lethal Weapon. It appears Glaudini is enjoying exploring new acting challenges instead of considering a Criminal Minds Elle Greenaway return.
