The Mentalist has tapped a veteran actor to come on board in a key role.

William Forsythe will portray Wayne's father, career criminal Steve Rigsby, on an episode later this season. Series creator Bruno Heller describes this character as "a clever and charismatic outlaw with an edge of violence, leavened by mercurial charm."

He also hasn't been the best father.

"[He's] selfish, arrogant and ruthless," Heller told TV Guide. "Steve is outraged that any child of his would join the police. He sees it as a personal betrayal, a rejection of Rigsby family tradition."

So, what brings the elder Rigsby into the picture?

The CBI will investigate the death of a prison guard on the episode and Jane will require help discovering which inmates may have had a motive for murder. Rigsby will therefore call on his ex-con father for assistance. Will he cooperate? We can't say.

"Underneath all this tension, father and son love each other deeply," Heller says. "But they are morally and emotionally too far apart to realize that fact."