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I left 'Law and Order' because I really honestly did want to do movies and did want to be a movie star since I was a little girl.

Well, I was coming off of being on 'Law & Order,' and I was a little worried that it might be the end of my career - I've never been one of those actors with a lot of confidence that the next good job will come along.

I had no idea 'L.A. Law' would be so mega. I knew it was a big show, but I was just one actress in a group of many good, award-winning actresses.

By my third year of Law and Order, I was climbing the walls. But you don't leave a hit show, especially when you have a five-year contract.

But 'Hey Dude' was shot in Arizona, and that took me to the West Coast. We did 65 episodes. It was not a show that a ton of people saw, so it was like doing acting classes and getting paid for it. At that point I had the acting bug. So I went to L.A. to give it a try and never left.

I could have stayed in L.A. and done sitcoms for awhile and will probably go back and do one I hope.

When I was asked to leave, I left... Then they made me come back. I did, and I decided to enjoy it. It was one year. I care about everyone at 'Criminal Minds' but I knew, in my heart, I had left.

'Law and Order' is completely story-driven and completely characterless, really. If you do that format for five years and you're an actor, you're bound to get bored. It wears on you. And it was really wearing on me.

First of all, it was in my contract. I knew I would be directing an episode.