Australian actor and director Simon Baker led The Mentalist cast throughout its 7 seasons. Although several critics and viewers compared The Mentalist to the USA Network’s detective comedy-drama Psych, The Mentalist enjoyed amazing viewership during its run. The Mentalist originally aired on CBS from September 23, 2008, to February 18, 2015.
Created by Bruno Heller, The Mentalist followed Patrick Jane, a former psychic who uses his heightened observation skills to “read” people’s minds and crime scenes. He gets hired as a consultant by the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI), where he teams up with his boss, Senior agent Teresa Lisbon. With almost a decade since the series finale, these were the top 5 The Mentalist cast members and where they are now.
Simon Baker as Patrick Jane
Most of The Mentalist’s success can be attributed to Simon Baker’s performance as Patrick Jane. Although a fake psychic, Patrick Jane’s observational skills and the way he reached his conclusion made the character more relatable to audiences. Then, the obvious chemistry between him and Teresa Lisbon made viewers more than glad they got married.
Since the show ended, Simon Baker hasn’t played the lead in any other TV show. However, he played a supporting role in the Australian coming-of-age miniseries Boy Swallows Universe, released on January 11, 2024. Baker made his feature directorial debut in 2017 with the Australian sports drama Breath. His latest appearance in a movie is in the 2023 Australian independent mystery-crime film Limbo, where he played the lead character and executive produced.
Robin Tunney as Teresa Lisbon
American actress Robin Tunney joined The Mentalist cast as its female lead, Special Agent Teresa Lisbon. Lisbon headed the CBI’s Serious Crime Unit and was Patrick Jane’s boss. As a field agent, she was always on the field with Jane to solve crimes. At the beginning of the series, Lisbon is easily annoyed by Jane’s behavior and antics. Over the years, she and Jane grew closer and married in the finale episode (“White Orchids”). Like Simon Baker, Robin Tunney has only had one major project on television. She joined the main cast of the short-lived ABC legal drama The Fix in 2019. She also appeared in a recurring role on the Apple TV+ short-lived drama Dear Edward. In movies, she co-starred alongside Nicolas Cage in Looking Glass (2018), with her last film credit being Horse Girl (2020).
Tim Kang as Kimball Cho
Besides Simon Baker and Robin Tunney, Tim Kang is the only other actor in The Mentalist cast who remains part of the main cast throughout the show’s run. Kang played Special Agent Kimball Cho, also a member of Teresa Lisbon’s Serious Crime Unit. Cho was one of The Mentalist’s beloved characters, especially with his deadpan and dry humor.
Post-The Mentalist, Tim Kang guest-starred in a few other TV shows before being cast in a recurring role in Cloak & Dagger in 2018. That same year, Kang was cast as Detective Gordon Katsumoto on the CBS/NBC action drama Magnum P.I. (2018-2024). Tim Kang has only starred in one feature film since the end of The Mentalist. Kang played the School superintendent in A Wrinkle in Time (2018).
Owain Yeoman as Wayne Rigsby
Special Agent Wayne Rigsby was the arson specialist in Teresa Lisbon’s Serious Crime Unit. Welsh actor Owain Yeoman joined The Mentalist cast as Wayne Rigsby. He’s close friends with his colleague, Kimball Cho. Against regulations, Wayne began dating Grace Van Pelt, a team member. Although they broke it off once and remained friends, they began dating again in season 5. Yeoman left The Mentalist as a main cast after season 6, episode 15.
However, he returned for the show’s finale to reprise his role and attend Jane and Lisbon’s wedding. In 2015, Owain Yeoman joined the AMC period drama Turn: Washington Spies cast as Benedict Arnold. He also played Benny Gallagher in Emergence from 2019 to 2020. On the big screen, Owain Yeoman starred in movies such as American Sniper (2014) and The Belko Experiment (2016). His last movie credit was the British drama Save the Cinema (2022).
Amanda Righetti as Grace Van Pelt
Amanda Righetti was the second top female character and one of the top 5 The Mentalist cast. Righetti played Special Agent Grace Van Pelt, a formidable asset to the CBI. Her character is Wayne Rigsby’s love interest until they are forced to break up their relationship. However, they reunited and married in season 5. Amanda Righetti was pregnant during the second half of season 5. As such, her character was either sitting behind a desk or in the shadows.
This was because Bruno Heller could not convincingly write her pregnancy into her character. Amanda Righetti left The Mentalist after season 6, episode 15. Like Owain Yeoman, Righetti returned to reprise her character in the series finale for the wedding. Since leaving The Mentalist, Amanda Righetti has had more guest appearances in TV shows than being a series regular. However, she played Maddie Kenner in seasons 1 and 2 of the USA Network’s science fiction drama Colony (2016-2017). In 2013, she played Lilly Rayne in the Western movie Far Haven. If you enjoyed reading about The Mentalist cast, read about Vampire Diaries cast and what they are up to today.
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