In the time between filming Heated Rivalry and its release, Connor Storrie filmed a guest-starring role in Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 19. His name hadn’t yet skyrocketed, but he was already impressing people with his performance. As showrunner Erica Messer explained, what was supposed to be one episode became four. His first appearance is in the fourth episode, directed by series star Adam Rodriguez, who played a major role in getting him cast.
“As the director, you get to pick your cast. April Webster, our casting director, had sent her selections from the tapes that came in. As always, April does such a great job casting the show. It’s almost always hard to choose. And it came down to Connor and this one other guy that did a good job as well. But for me, it was an easy choice,” Rodriguez tells TV Insider while discussing the first two episodes of Season 19.
“Connor really had something that I thought was exactly right for the character. We needed somebody that seemed dangerous on the surface, but that there was some vulnerability to, that there was a relatable human being underneath it because he comes in and I think you initially want to believe he’s just a bad person, but there’s more to it,” he continues. “Connor, for me, just instantly was my choice. I was like, ‘That’s my guy for that role.'”
However, he shares, there was some “pushback,” but with Messer on his side — “if the boss has your back, then you get to make the choice you want” — they were able to cast Storrie.
“He did such a great job that the role did expand, and it was crazy. I mean, because he comes, he does this role that ends up being for four episodes, great energy, really nice guy, great with the crew, great with all of the makeup and hair departments. He was a very likable guy,” says Rodriguez. “And so literally in what felt like overnight to see his career just take off the way that it did was a good feeling. You’re like, ‘Oh man, I’m so happy for this kid. That’s great, man. That is great to see.’ That is a really exciting thing when you see that happen for somebody. I’ve been in a position to see that happen for several people over the years, and it’s always really exciting to see that.”
As Messer previously told us, after seeing his performance, it was clear that he needed to “have a bigger role.” She said, “We kind of adjusted the back half of the season to have his character have more agency in the story we were telling because he was so good. We get to talk to him, and he’s kind of a jerk, and we’re like, ‘We feel like there’s something else going on with this guy.’ And we kept trying to connect him to this other mystery woman who’s played by Jessi Case. And we were like, OK, how are these two going to come into play for the bigger turn by the end of the season?”
Rodriguez also reveals that Dash Mihok guests in his episode. “Dash was great,” he raves. “He is so good.”
What’s your theory about Conor Storrie’s character? Let us know in the comments section below.
Criminal Minds: Evolution, Thursdays, Paramount+
More Headlines:
- Hoda Kotb Makes Surprise Return to ‘Today’ for Special Celebration
- ‘Wheel of Fortune’: Emotional Contestant Cries With Ryan Seacrest After $60,000 Win
- ‘General Hospital’s Finn Carr Reveals How Brother Elliott Carr Landed Surprise Role
- ‘Criminal Minds: Evolution’: Adam Rodriguez Explains Choosing Connor Storrie for Role
- ‘The Four Seasons’ Creators Break Down Season 2’s Exploration of Grief Through Travel
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.