SSA "David Rossi" joined the BAU in Criminal Minds season 3, quickly emerging as one of many fan favourites on the show. The veteran profiler stayed with the unit through the season 15 finale — which was nearly a fatal one for the longtime star!
But now that Criminal Minds aired its swan song, what will actor Joe Mantegna do next? Let's take a look at "Rossi" now and what the actor has in the works.
Criminal Minds: "Rossi" actor Joe Mantegna
Veteran actor Joe Mantegna got his start as a stage star before gaining wider recognition in TV and film roles—including movies such as The Godfather Part III, Three Amigos, and Up Close & Personal.
In the 2000s, the star also acted in main roles on short-lived CBS series First Monday and Joan of Arcadia. But Mantegna is probably best known for his TV work as the voice of mobster "Fat Tony" on The Simpsons (dating back to 1991) and, of course, as "Rossi" on Criminal Minds.
Will Mantegna remain active on TV now that Criminal Minds has ended?
Joe Mantegna today in 2021
Today, Mantegna is 74 years old and hasn't had many new roles in recent years. He'd been busy with Criminal Minds and a few "Fat Tony" episodes on The Simpsons, but outside of his well-known shows, he appeared only in a video short and 2020 indie film Rolling Thunder.
But Mantegna fans need not fear. Word is the star has already filmed a new TV pilot. In an October 2020 interview with ABILITY Magazine, he said the show is "tentatively called On the Spectrum," an adaptation of an Israeli show of the same name.
Mantegna said he signed on due to a personal connection to the subject matter—a comedy-drama about three roommates on the autism spectrum. "I read it, and having a daughter with autism, I related to it very strongly," he shared. "I thought it was very well written. It had humor and yet dealt with the seriousness of the situation."
Mantegna and his wife of over 40 years, Arlene Vrhel, share two daughters together, and their youngest, Mia (b. 1987), is autistic. She's a makeup artist, and has acted and worked at a Mantegna family restaurant as well. Amid raising his daughter, the actor became an autism activist and vocal advocate for Autism Awareness Month.
We're looking forward to seeing On the Spectrum on a network or streamer in the near future, and any other projects Mantegna takes on. He also keeps busy as a film and TV producer.
See what Criminal Minds co-stars Matthew Gray Gubler and A.J. Cook have lined up next here.
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