Matthew Gray Gubler is only weeks into filming his new CBS show, Einstein, but he’s already trying to get some of his former Criminal Minds costars to make cameos.
“There’s only one person I went on from Criminal Minds and it’s every single one,” Gubler, 46, exclusively told Us Weekly at CBS Fest on Wednesday, April 15. “I feel lucky to be back on the tiny little TV screen again and I hope they’ll all come back.”
He continued: “I’ve already reached out to all of them. We gotta get Shemar [Moore] on there shirtless though, right?”
Gubler’s costar Melissa Fumero, meanwhile, has her own ideas for Brooklyn Nine-Nine alums she could bring over, adding, “Anybody [would be great], but I’d love to get Stephanie [Beatriz] on the show.”
Einstein, which is set for a midseason premiere, follows Gubler’s Lew Einstein, who is the great-grandson of Albert Einstein and a comfortably tenured professor. His bad-boy antics, however, land him in trouble with the law, so he uses his skills to help a local police detective solve the most puzzling cases.
The upcoming series was originally announced in October 2024 but has since gone through several obstacles. In April 2025, it was confirmed that CBS was moving Einstein from its planned premiere during the 2025-26 TV season to the 2026-27 season.
Einstein’s hiring process was also paused when Rosa Salazar, who was meant to star opposite Gubler in the pilot, left the project due to the delay in production. Fumero, 43, ultimately took on the role as Veronica “Ronni” Paris, who is a detective inspector for the New Jersey State Police who went into law enforcement after the death of her husband.
The series is not expected to have more than two series regular roles in the pilot, which is not unique for crime procedurals and is meant to model CBS’ Elsbeth, which has two. Despite the extra yearlong wait for Einstein to air, Gubler promised it was worth it.
“Absolutely. One million percent [it was worth the wait],” he told Us. “To work with Melissa, I’d wait 6,000 centuries.”
Fumero, meanwhile, was thrilled to jump right in.
“There was no wait for me. I got the job and I was in Canada the next day. For me, it was very much a whirlwind,” she shared. “But it is the most fun ride. I’m so lucky and grateful.”
She continued: “This man, he has so much energy. I’m just in awe of it. He’s so present all day. He takes care of the crew and he takes care of everyone around him. He’s created such a lovely place to work every day. I feel very lucky. We thankfully hit it off right away.”
