It's been nine long months since inconsolable Moonlight fans last saw Alex O'Loughlin playing sexy vampire turned private investigator Mick St. John.  Soon, however, he'll be returning to our small screens when he joins the cast of Criminal Minds.



According to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, the Moonlight star will be returning to CBS to play a serial killer in at least one episode of Criminal Minds, which is tentatively scheduled to air in April.  This marks O'Loughlin's first TV comeback following the cancellation of his cult-favorite paranormal series.





Moonlight attracted a huge following, around 7 million per episode, but the execs at CBS weren't keen on picking up the series for a second season.  O'Loughlin, however, was a good enough reason for the network to hang on.  Three months after pulling the plug on Moonlight, CBS signed a one-year deal with O'Loughlin with plans to give him a new show to be developed by Mark Gordon, who is credited for his work on Criminal Minds, Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy.



During last month's press tour, CBS president Nina Tassler, who signed the Australian actor to a development deal, hinted that we may see him back on the network "soon" in a new project.



At present, O'Loughlin, who is also credited for his roles on Oyster Farmer and The Shield, is working on Whiteout.  The action-thriller is a film adaptation of the 1999 comic book by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber that follows a U.S. Marshal as she tracks a killer in Antarctica, as the sun is about to set for six months.  The movie, which is slated to hit theaters on September 11, is directed by Dominic Sena and stars Kate Beckinsale and Gabriel Macht in the lead roles.