With popular shows such as 'Law and Order' and 'Grey's Anatomy' setting the bar with their highly rated spin-offs, it was only a matter of time before more series got in the mix.

The Hollywood Reporter states that Oscar winner Forest Whitaker will star in CBS' 'Criminal Minds' spin-off.

The project, about a new group of profilers who work outside the FBI bureaucracy, will be introduced on an episode of 'Criminal Minds' in the spring.

Whitaker will play Cooper, the leader of the squad. Described as a dynamic, mysterious and charming father figure to the rest of the team, Cooper is a former star profiler in the behavioral unit who has been off the radar for the last eight years.

The TV route seems to work better for Whitaker. After winning an Oscar for best actor in 2006 for his phenomenal portrayal of ruthless dictator Idi Amin in 'The Last King of Scotland,' the Longview, Texas, native shined when he guest starred on 'ER,' for which he received a 2007 Emmy Award nomination, and two seasons on the award-winning FX television series 'The Shield,' which earned him rave reviews.

With the exception of 'The Great Debaters,' which also starred Denzel Washington, Whitaker's films have mostly had him in supporting roles ('Street Kings,' 'Vantage Point,' 'Where the Wild Things Are'), played in limited theaters ('The Air I Breathe,' 'Winged Creatures'), or gone straight to DVD ('Powder Blue' and 'Hurricane Season').

He has two studio films slated for release this year: 'Our Family Wedding' with Regina King and 'Repo Man' with Jude Law.

If the spin-off is successful, Whitaker would join a list of high-profile African American film actors who have jumped to TV for long-term work, including Lawrence Fishburne ('CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'), Gabrielle Union ('FlashForward'), Alfre Woodard ('Three Rivers'), Jada Pinkett Smith ('HawthoRNe'), Anthony Anderson ('Law and Order'), LL Cool J ('NCIS: Los Angeles'), and Regina King ('Southland'). Angela Bassett joined the cast of the 'ER' for the show's final season (2008-2009).