‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ Star Explains Why He Had To Fight To Cast 'Heated Rivalry’s Connor Storrie in Season 19

In Season 19 of the Paramount+ series Criminal Minds: Evolution, the BAU is investigating creepy and disturbing new cases at the same time Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) tries a path of atonement. Reeling from their own personal losses, the team will be tested when someone known as The Fan wants to prove they’re better than their serial-killing idol. Season 19 guest stars include Connor Storrie, Justin Kirk, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jeri Ryan, Clark Gregg, Paul F. Tompkins, Cress Williams, Kofi Siriboe, Dash Mihok, and Nicholas Gonzalez.

Collider recently got the opportunity to chat one-on-one with Adam Rodriguez, who plays field agent Luke Alvez, about the emotional journey his character is on this season, having suffered a loss that’s deeply gutting. During the interview, he discussed the huge challenge of working with his canine co-star, connecting with a troubled UnSub (guest star Richard Cabral), casting Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie for Episode 4, which he also directed, why Storrie’s role expanded beyond the one episode it was originally set to be, and what’s still to come for Alvez.

Collider: The storyline with Luke that carried over the first two episodes, where we didn’t know what was going on with him, felt like something was happening directly to him, and then it felt like something happening with a person close to him, and then we learned about his dog, Roxy. Was it intentionally set up that way?

ADAM RODRIGUEZ: I would say it was just great storytelling. It was a way to get everybody invested and make it feel personal, although it was not. We just wanted to get fans really on the ride with us right out of the gate. And then, the turn that it takes is a heavy one. Hopefully, people enjoy going on the ride with us.

I was just glad you were not suddenly leaving the show.

RODRIGUEZ: Me too. Oh, my God! I would have been crushed. I don’t want that news.

Adam Rodriguez Found It Challenging To Get Emotional With His Canine Co-Star in ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ Season 19

"I'm always intimidated by those scenes."

When you bond with a dog, it’s sad anytime you have to say goodbye. But the bond between soldiers and their canine partner is even more special. What was it like to figure out how to shoot those moments and to really tell story with them, with a scene partner that can’t speak?

RODRIGUEZ: It’s really a challenge, honestly. It’s a huge challenge. Just as an actor, for me personally – other actors may have an easier time with it – the emotional scenes have always been challenging. I don’t access that state very often. Not that I’m not connected to my emotions. I am. It just takes a lot for me to get there. It has to be something deep. It’s very hard to fake that for me. It’s my job, of course, as an actor, but it’s hard for me to get there. I’m always intimidated by those scenes because I’m like, “Shit, am I going to be able to get there? Am I going to be able to show up and deliver on that?” And that’s exciting because I personally love a challenge.

It’s like, “Okay, it’s game time, man. Are you going to be able to put the ball in the end zone or what?” That always triggers a bunch of preparation and a bunch of work that has to go on mentally, mostly, to get prepared for those things. And then, you step in on those days when you have to shoot those scenes, and you’ve got cameras in your face, and other experts in their fields, whether it’s a focus puller or a sound person, or just someone in the background that makes a noise that could blow a take, and you’ve got to deliver on those things, again and again and again. You’ve got to stay in a certain mental state while all these things arise.

And then, you’ve got an emotional moment to play with a dog, and dogs, by trade, are not actors. As much as you can train an animal, it is really difficult to get a dog to stay still or to recreate a behavior that the trainer might be trying to get them to do. These trainers are wonderful, and they can get it right in rehearsal, but then once the cameras roll, sometimes the dog has a mind of its own. It’s going to do what it wants to do in those moments, and it doesn’t really care that there are 150 to 200 people depending on this dog. You’ve got all of these obstacles to face, and that’s what makes it fun and makes it a celebration when you finally get it right. Luckily, we had a great director on that episode, a guy named Anthony Viietro, who is normally our director of photography on the show. He’s been directing for us now, for the last two seasons, and he’s just done a tremendous job. I was so glad he was the director for that episode. I thought we all did something I’m proud of, at the end of the day.

I will admit that I was mad at Penelope Garcia for a minute because I thought she didn’t know what was going on with Luke. So, I was glad that she actually did know and could be there for him.

RODRIGUEZ: You know that’s my girl! She knows.

Your character also connects with Richard Cabral’s character in a way that other people in that episode don’t. What was it like to find that final scene that you share with him?

RODRIGUEZ: Oh, man. First of all, Richard is a tremendous actor. He’s a really soulful human being. He’s got a deep soul, and he brings that to his performances in everything that I’ve seen him in. He’s a standout. I was really excited to get to work with him and happy that he was my scene partner in those scenes because. Connecting to each other happened very naturally, and it comes across in those scenes. We’re two people that are both experiencing a tremendous amount of pain, and some of it through similar experiences, and yet we’ve both chosen really different paths in how to squash that pain in some way to alleviate it. We end up in this moment together where we’re complete strangers, and yet he’s somebody that I feel close enough and connected enough to, to share something that I hadn’t shared with any other friend or any other character.

I just didn’t think anybody else would be able to understand, other than this guy that I’m trying to convince to stand down and not hurt somebody else. Again, that’s a testament to Anthony Viietro for letting those scenes play the way that he did and not forcing them or rushing them. He allowed us to really get there and find that connection that made that meaningful. Aside from the moment when you find out what I’m dealing with, in terms of loss, that scene is the moment that matters the most in that episode. That connection reveals the most about Luke and about a lot of other soldiers, more than anything else. I loved that scene. I really enjoyed working with Richard.

Adam Rodriguez Is Responsible for Casting ‘Heated Rivalry’ Star Connor Storrie in ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’ Season 19

"I was like, 'This guy's my first choice.' I needed something that was dangerous in appearance but could also be vulnerable."

Much is also being made of the fact that Connor Storrie is guest starring this season because, all of a sudden, he’s a big deal. Apparently, we’ll meet him in Episode 4, which you also directed.

RODRIGUEZ: Yeah, that is true. I cast Connor from my episode. April Webster is our casting director. She’s incredible. Anytime I’ve directed, there’s always great talent to look at, and I love that part. I love the casting process, almost as much as I love directing actors. I love watching people’s tapes. April had sent some tapes and Connor, for me, popped out immediately. I was like, “This guy’s my first choice." I needed somebody that was dangerous in appearance but could also be vulnerable. I really felt like he embodied what I was looking for, not just physically, but in his performance. He gave a great performance. Not everybody saw it that way, but fortunately, myself and (showrunner) Erica Messer both did, and Erica supported that in a way that we were able to push it through. And so, we cast Connor, and gladly. He came in and turned out to be a really nice guy. He was just a pleasure to be around. He was very well liked by everybody – make-up, hair, and everybody. He has a great personality. And then, his career exploded like it did, in what seemed overnight. We shot his stuff last summer, and by the fall, his show had come out, and he was just off to the races. It was unbelievable. I’m really happy for the guy. I hope he’s enjoying himself and I hope he is able to sustain that for a long time.

You were probably like, “See, I know what I’m doing when it comes to casting.”

RODRIGUEZ: Listen, I do have confidence in my taste. I can spot talent, for sure.

Since this show has come back, you’ve had a few characters that started as one-off appearances and then expanded in ways that weren’t expected, whether that’s with Connor Storrie this season or Elias Voit in your first season back. Is that because your showrunner, Erica Messer just gives the characters room to breathe and grow?

RODRIGUEZ: I think it’s the luxury of being on the streamer, as well. I think what’s so cool is that we had this format for the longest time on CBS for 15 seasons, we had to wrap the episodes up in 42 to 45 minutes. You only have so much time to hit all the beats you need to get to the end of the episode. But now, on the streamer, we’ve got another 15 or 20 extra minutes of screen time that we can actually use to develop these characters further. We can see more of our BAU regulars and get to know them personally in a deeper way, and then we actually get to explore the minds of these killers in a way that we didn’t quite have time for before. That really is what’s always been so fascinating to me about the show. What makes these people tick? Why are they the way they are? I want to know more about that. And now, all of a sudden, we have the time to do that, and to extend characters that come along and pop, which happened for Connor. Connor came in, did a great job, and it was like, “This character has more life. Let’s spread this out a little bit and see more from this person.”

Luke Alvez Will Continue To Process Loss in Season 19 of ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’

"As hard as that is, you see him grow."

What would you say to tease what’s coming for Luke after these first two episodes? What are we going to continue to see from him this season?

RODRIGUEZ: You’ll continue to see Luke process loss. Like it is for everybody that is processing loss and not letting it bury them, as hard as that is, you see him grow. You do start to see that with the help of Garcia and the rest of the team. That’s what friends and family do for you. They help lift you up and keep you going, and I think you’ll see that… It’s a great season. There are so many layers to it. We never want to let the fans down. After 19 seasons, you’ve actually got to work harder to make things right for the fans, and I can tell you, we are in there every day, doing our very best, because we really appreciate the fans showing up and keeping the show going. That’s the feedback we wait for, and we’re hoping you love it. We think you will, and we’re hoping that you do.

Criminal Minds: Evolution is available to stream on Paramount+.