Why Criminal Minds' Kate Callahan Was Perfect For Jennifer Love Hewitt

CBS' police procedural drama "Criminal Minds" is rarely short of acting talent, but the show's Season 10 received an extraordinarily huge jolt of energy in the form of Jennifer Love Hewitt, who joined the cast as FBI agent Kate Callahan. Hewitt entered the show as an accomplished film star and a veteran of TV shows that ranged from "Party of Five" to "Ghost Whisperer," so the actor was obviously quite a catch for the show. 

As it turns out, this worked the other way around, as well. The patriotic and crafty Kate was a very welcome role for the actor for a number of reasons. Hewitt left "Criminal Minds" after just one season, and has since moved on to new things – she's currently part of the stacked cast of Fox's "9-1-1." However, she's had plenty of good things to say about Kate. Here's why Jennifer Love Hewitt thinks the role of Kate Callahan was perfect for her.

Variety is the spice of life, and as Jennifer Love Hewitt made clear in a 2014 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kate Callahan proved to be a perfect role at a perfect time. As it turns out, it was also a matter of the perfect network, since Hevitt had fond memories of working with CBS in the past. 

"I had been on a break for a bit being a mommy," Hewitt explained. "They were looking to add a new cast member and obviously I spent some time at CBS before, doing 'Ghost Whisperer'. Honestly, I had always wondered and been waiting to find the perfect way to get back. My first CBS experience was so awesome."

Not only did the "Criminal Minds" experience allow Hewitt to reconnect with CBS, it also provided an opportunity to work with "Criminal Minds" showrunner and fellow "Party of Five" veteran Erica Messer. What's more, the actor found Kate a very intriguing character, because she's very different from her previous starring roles, such as the far more empathetic "Ghost Whisperer" character Melinda Gordon.  

"Kate has absolutely no sensitivity for these people just because she believes in the right in people, doing things the right way and not hurting other people," she said. "Melinda could understand why these people could do these things and she had to understand in order to get these people to the light."

Hewitt was also intrigued by the prospect of a more limited behind-the-scenes role than she was used to. "It's the first time I've been on a show that I'm not producing and didn't put together," the actor said. "I'm just a cast member. It's their house and I'm just really honored to be invited in."