Criminal Minds may have only aired its last episode a few short months ago, but we’re still not over it.
Thankfully, we still have the actors’ lives to keep up with. The most important one, obviously, is Matthew Gray Gubler.
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AKA the wickedly smart and hilarious Special Agent, Spencer Reid. Come take a stroll and get to know him!
1. He originally wanted to be a filmmaker:
He even went to school to pursue it!
After studying at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, he made a documentary in 2004 called Matthew Gray Gubler’s Life Aquatic Intern Journal .
This movie documented the experience of making *The Life Aquatic* with Steve Zissou*.
Also, if you’ve ever watched a music video by The Killers, chances are, he directed it.
He’s also directed multiple episodes of Criminal Minds . So he is definitely a multi-talented man!
2. He used to be a model:
He was discovered while studying at NYU and signed to DNA Management.
His portfolio is super impressive, as he’s modeled for everyone from Calvin Klein to Tommy Hilfiger to Marc Jacobs. He once called his modeling career “the craziest thing of all.”
3. He has known he wanted to be an actor since he was two:
While most of us were busy sucking on our thumbs at that age, Matthew was dreaming big!
“It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do,” he told Glamour . “I have a crazy memory, and I remember being two years old at someone’s party and thinking, “This party is boring! I better spruce it up!”
He continued:
“I got up and tried to do this really dumb dance that I saw Winnie the Pooh do, and I remember falling over and thinking, “This is what it’s all about.”
We’re so glad he pursued it!
4. His mother’s a rancher and a politician consultant and his dad is an attorney:
He’s always spoken so highly of his parents.
“They are the most lovely, encouraging parents a kid could ever ask for. I’ve been lavished with nothing but encouragement—probably too much!”
5. He went to a Beach Boys concert when he was 11:
It led to this oh so glorious photo that we will treasure forever.
If you’re wondering “why the fedora,” he told Glamour that he started wearing fedoras when he was six and that he was an old soul at a young age.
He once said about the famous photo:
“I looked like a 1920s gangster. I feel an affinity to that kid Manny on Modern Family . That guy really speaks to my youth. And I wore these glasses that floated on my head. They were called floaters.”
6. He was bullied a lot as a kid:
Aww. Poor Matthew! While it was tough, those bullies made him who he is today.
“I’m so thankful for every bully I’ve ever had. It never affected me, and that’s why I’m so thankful for them,” he said .
“I learned early on that if anything, it made me stick closer to who I am.”
He continued:
“It just made me very solid with who I was. I don’t see it like, “poor me.” I was lucky. It taught me a beautiful lesson, and I’m really grateful for it.”
7. He’s doing a lot of voice acting:
If you’ve watched the Chipmunks movies, then you probably already know that he voiced the character, Simon!
He’s also lent his voice to other animated shows and movies, such as Scooby-Doo and Batman .
8. He used to date Kat Dennings from *2 Broke Girls*:
The pair dated for a ” long time ,” according to Gruber himself.
While things didn’t work out, he said that they’re still good friends. “Kat is marvelous,” he said. He’s even appeared on her show Dollface !
“She’s one of the funniest people I know and such a talented actress.”
He continued:
“A warm-hearted person, and I love her and her family. I met her a long, long time ago—it was at the start of my show.
9. He wrote a children’s book:
Children’s movies aren’t his only specialty.
He wrote Rumple Buttercup: A Story of Bananas, Belonging, and Being Yourself , which was released in April 2019.
In addition to rave reviews, it was named one of Forbes ‘ Best Children’s Books of the Year.
“Rumple popped into my head a few years ago,” he told *Parade*.
“I, basically, wrote the book for anyone who’s ever felt like they didn’t quite fit in, just to make them know that they’re not alone. I’m not sure where the idea came from, but I’m glad that he appeared in my brain,” he said .
10. He loves magic:
Fans have seen him use magic on Criminal Minds , but he’s actually been doing it offscreen for decades.
He told Medium that he even used to do kids’ magic shows in Vegas.
11. He doesn’t wear matching socks:
This is something he learned from his grandmother.
She “told me at a very early age that it was good luck to not wear matching socks, which I’ve come [to interpret] as [it’s] bad luck to wear matching socks.”
He even said that he had a bout of bad luck when he wore matching socks.
“The one time I wore matching socks in 10 years was when I was acting in this movie called The Life Aquatic . We were doing a moment where Bill Murray is leading us in exercises and somehow I managed to sprain my ankle on camera.”
12. He gave an emotional goodbye to his *Criminal Minds’* character, Spencer Reid:
He really tugged at fans’ heartstrings by sharing this picture and its emotional caption.
“i’ve carried these 3 props with me almost every day for the last 15 years,” he tweeted.
“After tonight i’ll just carry them in my heart where i will forever keep memories of the best crew, the best cast, and the best fands (fans/friends) a fictional crimefighter could ever have.”
We’re not crying, you’re crying!
There will never be another character like him on TV.
13. He is a very good skateboarder!
He knows that comes as quite a surprise to a lot of people.
“I think because I’m a nerd everyone — including myself — fails to recognize that I’m very coordinated. I’m also getting into skateboard design soon too,” he said.
14. He knows that he can come across as very awkward.
“Comes pretty damn naturally, unfortunately, so that’s a bummer,” he once said.
But hey, it’s that awkwardness that people seem to love about him! So it is obviously working in his favor!
15. His favorite part of the entertainment business is bringing joy to others.
Or as he puts it, “making people smile.”
Considering he is really into magic and his children’s book, this makes a ton of sense. I think we can all agree that just looking at him brings a smile to our faces!
16. He officiated the wedding of his *Criminal Minds* co-star, Paget Brewster, when she married Steve Damstra.
Honestly, that is the sweetest thing . It really makes the celebration special to have a best friend officiate a wedding.
It’s an easy way to make people emotional!
17. He once described his perfect date:
“Perfect date: I’d pick her up with Sam Cook playing on the radio, driving with the windows down and the heat on, then go to maybe a museum like the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angeles or the Neue Galerie in New York, walk around aimlessly in Central Park, go to dinner somewhere great.”
18. He is best friends with Paget Brewster.
This makes sense, considering he officiated her wedding!
She plays Emily Prentiss on Criminal Minds and Gubler has described her as the female version of himself! I wonder what behind-the-scenes drama they both keep secret…
19. He lives in a haunted treehouse.
Gubler lives in Pasadena, and he is the one who describes his home as a “haunted treehouse.”
To me, it looks like a castle! It has a gorgeous feel to it, with a fireplace that, in his words, “looks like a drunk gnome had built it.”
20. He loves to praise his *Criminal Minds* cast:
They seem like a great bunch!
“When you work this many hours together for this many years, you see each other more than your own families. Joe Mantegna is like my Los Angeles dad,” he said.
“Mandy Patinkin is so close to my heart.”
“Early on in the show, he felt like my best friend. Shemar [Moore] is like my brother. A.J. [Cook] is like a sister. Paget [Brewster] is my best friend. I married her and introduced her to her husband.”
21. He is an extremely talented painter.
As you can see, he has a very unique style to his art!
22. He once had to walk with a cane!
While dancing, Gubler actually dislocated his knee ! That sounds quite on-brand if you ask me.
So, the Criminal Minds writers wrote it into the script to accommodate him!
Let us know your favorite Gubler fact down below in the comments!
