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By Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith Feb 8, 2009

Joe Mantegna won't have much time for movie work between seasons of CBS's "Criminal Minds." He doesn't mind. Says the actor who's racked up some 60 feature films, dozens of TV credits and numerous award-winning stage performances, "The series is doing well, and I anticipate the network will want us to start shooting for fall in early summer. Nothing could please me more. When you've been around as long as I have, you look at things with some perspective. I'm in an occupation that been a dream of mine since I was a kid. Life couldn't be better -- and I never lose sight of that."

Joe Mantegna Grateful Mamet Association Survived False Start

The 61-year-old Mantegna, whose series returns with new episodes Wednesday (2/11), says he learned long ago, "to make the best decision you can -- and learn to live with it."

He was just lucky that things turned out as they did when he was just starting his career and turned down an invite to star in a stage production of David Mamet's "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" in favor of playing an understudy role on Broadway that carried a better paycheck.

It was 1974, and Joe had no idea David would become "one of the world's most esteemed playwrights." Says Joe, "I didn't turn him down a second time and am just fortunate he didn't hold my decision with 'Sexual Perversity' against me. "

Indeed he didn't. Mantegna went on to win a Tony for Mamet's Pulitzer-Prize-winning play, "Glengarry Glen Ross." He was back on Broadway in Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow," and in Chicago starred in the Mamet plays "A Life in the Theatre" and "The Disappearance of the Jews" -- and also directed Mamet's "Lakeboat" in Los Angeles. He went on to make his feature film directorial debut with "Lakeboat," based on Mamet's screenplay. In addition, he starred in the David Mamet films "House of Games," "Things Change" and "Homicide."

"He's my honored friend and associate," says Mantegna. "To this day he will phone and say, 'Hey, there's a project I think will interest you.'"

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