Criminal Minds |

Meet the Cast

VIDEO

• FULL EPISODE | 21:17

  

  Family Funny Business

  03/21/2012

• FULL EPISODE | 21:18

  

  CEO For a Day

  03/21/2012

• EXTRA | 1:02

  

  PHILosophies

• EXTRA | :55

  

  Hog Wild

• EXTRA | 1:14

  

  Famous Beards

• EXTRA | 1:03

  

  Working With Family

• EXTRA | 1:14

  

  Favorite Foods

• EXTRA | 1:12

  

  Prized Possessions

Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia

Character Bio: Penelope Garcia

Garcia is the fun-loving computer technician for the BAU.

After Garcia’s parents were in a fatal car accident, she retreated underground, where she spent time learning computer code – her way of dealing with the loss. Although she works for the FBI, she is also considered to be “one of the most dangerous hackers in the world.”. After she was arrested for mercenary hacking, the FBI offered her the option of joining them in exchange for a clean record. She agreed and has been working for the BAU since. She and Special Agent Dererk Morgan have a unique, intimate friendship that has stayed platonic but involves flirting at every available opportunity.

Garcia speaks French and also suffers from Coulrophobia, or the fear of clowns.

Actor Bio: Kirsten Vangsness

In the L.A. theater community and as a performance artist, Vangsness' work has garnered her the 15 Minutes of Fem Best Actress Award, the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for Best Emerging Comic Actress and the coveted Golden Betty Award.

Her theatre credits include numerous West Coast premieres of original plays including "A Mulholland Christmas Carol" (L.A. Weekly Award), "Book of Liz," "Fan Maroo," "Perfuct" and "Steaming City." In the summer of 2007 she starred in the West Coast premiere of Neil LaBute's "Fat Pig" at the Geffen Playhouse. Vangsness's short plays have appeared in the Los Angeles Times Magazine as well as in theatres throughout Los Angeles. She is a member of Theatre of NOTE in Hollywood, California.

Her television credits include "Phil of the Future." She has appeared in the feature film "A-List," the independent film "Shooting Blanks" and the soon to be released "In My Sleep."

Vangsness lives in Los Angeles. Her birth date is July 7.