NCIS Cast and Guest Stars – What They Look Like Then and Now
Everyone watches this long-running show and thinks they are great detectives and forensic experts, with the ability to solve any cold case murder! NCIS (which stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is one show which has given us many beloved TV characters and riveting storylines; as the Major Case Response Team races against time to solve chilling crimes.
With its 19th season coming up, the drama show, that debuted in 2003, is here to stay! The previous seasons have been shocking and dramatic, and have had their fair share of celebrity guest stars and regular cast members who have come and gone ever since its debut.
Let’s have a look at how the main cast and guest stars have changed since season 1!
David McCallum
A fan-favorite who has been with the show since its beginning has been veteran actor David McCallum, who plays the role of Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard and its difficult to imagine the show without him! Which is why fans were relieved when he did not leave the show in its 18th season. The Chief Medical Examiner and historian on the show has actually been acting since the ‘60s and was a musician, voice over actor and has acted in the original show, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Tamara Taylor
Canadian Actress Tamara Taylor only appeared in a few episodes of NCIS as Cassie Yates, but made a lasting impression on the viewers due to her superb acting skills. Although, she have significantly more face time when she starred as Dr. Camille Saroyan in another popular TV show, Bones. Tamara actually wanted to become an actress while in high school and eventually dropped out with her mom’s permission. She then starred in 3lbs, and The Titan on the Tracks and her fate was pretty much sealed!
Lauren Holly
After Sasha Alexander left NCIS in its second season, the producers of the show brought in Lauren Holly and cast her in the all-important role of Director Jenny Shepard. By the time her character was killed off in 2008, Lauren admits that she was “bored” with her character arc. Thankfully, she had made a name for herself my then, and bagged her own Canadian drama show, Motive. More recently, Holly has been seen guesting on shows like Lucifer, the Good Witch, and Designated Survivor. Doesn’t she look very different from her NCIS days, now?
Sarah Jane Morris
She is best known for playing Julia Walker on the drama, Brothers & Sisters and has some huge projects and credits to her name – Seven Pounds, Body of Prof, Coyote Ugly, Grey’s Anatomy and Mad Men, included! Since 2011, Sarah had been seen in the role of Special Agent Erica Jane “EJ” Barrett on NCIS, but her future on the show was in the doldrums, when her recurring character was shot on-screen and presumed to be dead. The producers then brought her back a few months later, and shocked the show’s fan, who were happy to see her alive!
Jaime Murray
In 2009, English actress Jaime Murray was cast in NCIS to portray the guest role of Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Julia “Jules” Foster-Yates, who frankly, annoyed some of the regular team members on the force. That may have been the reason why her role was never reprised on the show! No sweat, as Jaime has since gone on to guest on some huge projects such as Warehouse 13, The Originals, The Mentalist, Dexter and Hustle. Seems like starring in NCIS proved to be her lucky break, eh?
Troian Bellisario
The pretty actress Troian Bellisario began her career at the age of 3 when she acted in her dad’s movie, The Last Rites. She would continue to act in projects like First Monday, Quantum Leap and of course, a guest role on NCIS, as her father Donald Bellisario was once associated with the show! Way back when, Troian played the role of Sarah McGee, the sister of another maim character on the show, Special Agent Timothy McGee. Troian would go on to star in the murder mystery show Pretty Little Liars, which would propel her career to new heights.
Joel Gretsch
Actor Joel Gretsch has been regularly appearing on several popular television shows, and honestly, his list of credits can cause envy in even the most seasoned television actors! He has starred in Saved by the Bell, Melrose Place, Friends, CSI:Miami, Burn Notice and JAG, but he has also played the recurring role of Special Agent Stan Burley between 2003 and 2015 in NCIS. Joel is one of the few television stars who does not hesitate to take on the smallest of roles and shine in them. This is the reason why he is still going strong in the entertainment industry!
Kiara Muhammad
Kiara Muhammad is a former child performer who started her career by posing in Reebok photoshoots. A majority of her career has involved making guest appearances in popular television shows such as Hannah Montana, Mike & Molly, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Hart of Dixie and of course, NCIS. Little Kiara played the role of Kayla Vance in 4 of the episodes back in 2012, and did not reprise her role, thereafter. These days, she voices beloved animated characters for children, in The Doc Files and Sofia the First.
Alicia Coppola
MTV was the channel that gave actress Alicia Coppola her start, where she hosted a game show called Remote Control. In no time she transitioned to television roles and the movies, such as Why Women Kill, National Treasure and Black Widow. Alicia has a history with crime-based shows, as she has played a cannibal killer in CSI and a widow in Law & Order: Criminal Intent. She continued her streak by guesting in to different roles in NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles, where she played FBI agent Amy Rand, lending her expertise to the NCIS team.
Diane Neal
Actress Diane Neal bagged a great role in season 5 of Law & Order: SVU, and playing the role of Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak would be her debut role. Her role would be revived again in its 6th season. For her role in NCIS and NCIS: New Orleans, she was given a troubled storyline, who joined the force after active duty in Iraq, and losing a loved one. While on the show, her character and that of Agent Leroy Gibbs (played by Mark Harmon) had many similarities.
Jamie Lee Curtis
Honestly, what haven’t we seen actress Jamie Lee Curtis in! She has been in everything from cult comedies like Freaky Friday to Hollywood blockbusters such as True Lies and was even a scream queen in various Halloween movies! That is why fans were thrilled to see the BAFTA and Golden Globe winning actress play the role of Dr. Samantha Ryan in 5 NCIS episodes, who drove the plot forward. After her arc on the show ended, she just went back to being a Hollywood A-lister!
Duane Henry
British actor, Duane Henry, was first introduced to the NCIS universe in its 13th season, as Henry Reeves, an agent from MI6. He seemed to be quite popular, as they brought him back for season 14, but he was written out of the show again. Nothing personal, they just killed off his character as the producers did not know how to take his storyline forward! No harm no foul with Duane, as he went on to star in Captain Marvel, W.E. and the Hallmark movie, A Gingerbread Romance.
Meredith Eaton
Before the 4 foot high actress was cast in NCIS as CDC researcher and lab technician Carol Wilson, she had already starred in plenty of crime investigative shows like Boston Legal, CSI and Family Law. She has also been seen in Battle Creek, House, NYPD Blue and the MacGyver reboot. Meredith was much loved in NCIS and her recurring role was carried on to its spin-off, NCIS: New Orleans. Meredith continues to act and guest star in television shows.
Cote de Pablo
One of the standout characters of NCIS was that of Ziva David, played by the beautiful Chile-born actress Cote de Pablo. Ziva was a former Israeli Mossad agent, who joined the regular cast in season 3 and left the show by season 11, much to the dismay of her fans and the show’s producers! Right after leaving the show, she starred in The Dovekeepers, The 33, Seneca and Prototype. She did go back to NCIS in 2019, when she reprised her role for a few episodes.
Pauley Perrette
For 15 seasons of NCIS, actress Pauley Perrette played the role of forensic scientist Abby Sciuto, and very quickly became a fan favorite on the show, even with the intimidating goth look she had going on! But she abruptly left the show. Pauley would later reveal that she quit because of the harassment she had faced at the hands of the show’s lead, Mark Harmon! She burned her bridges with CBS when she left the show, and moved in to work on the sitcom Deadline, which was cancelled after its first season. In 2020, Pauley announced that she was done with Hollywood and was retiring!
Mark Harmon
Actor Mark Harmon portrays the role of Agent Leroy Gibbs and is the lead in the series. He character is forever helping his younger colleagues with their professional and personal lives. Because Mark has been on the show for years now, there have been whispers about his difficult nature, including forcing show-runner Donald Bellisario to leave the show, and inappropriate behavior with co-star Pauley Paurette, who eventually left the show, too. The newest rumor is that he is leaving the show!
Daniela Sofia Korn Ruah
Stunning actress and model Daniela Sofia Korn Ruah started her career in the entertainment industry by appearing in Portuguese soap operas when she was a teen! She was just 16 when she bagged a meaty role in Jardins Proibidos, and soon she was training in acting in London. Daniel was then cast in NCIS: Los Angeles as Special Agent Kensi Blye in 2009, and later appeared in a crossover episode with Hawaii Five-O. She no longer features on the cast list of the show, but is doing well for herself, even co-hosting the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon.
Brian Dietzen
A year after NCIS debuted, many new faces were introduced on the show, and one of those new faces was that of actor Brian Dietzen, who was given the role of Dr. Jimmy Palmer. Since 2012, his beloved character was promoted from being recurring to becoming a regular cast member! And boy, has he lasted, as he continues to stick on with the show, even today. He has also acted in Equus, Waiting for Godot and From Justin to Kelly.
Millie Bobby Brown
Way back in 2013, British actress Millie Bobby Brown made her TV debut with the fantasy show, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, and was then cast in a slew of TV show such as Intruders, Modern and her most famous television role so far, in Stranger Things. Millie is on her way to becoming a movie actress with Enola Holmes, but she also guested in a guest role on NCIS as the daughter of a murder victim. The blink-and-you-miss-it role as a child actress is a feather in the cap of the young performer!
Jessica Steen
Coming in all the way from Canada, actress Jessica Steen was very happy to play the recurring role of Special Agent Paula Cassidy on the show for the first 4 seasons. However, it was curtain calls for her role when in season 4, her character was killed off. Jessica would return to her native country and starred in Flashpoint, Republic of Doyle and Heartland – which is a beloved Canadian TV drama set out in the prairies. Steen credits her time with NCIS as giving her career the push it needed back then.
Weronika Rosati
Polish-born actress Weronika Rosati was cast in NCIS as Rivka David, the mother of Ziva and Tali David, even though she was quite young then. Although she appeared in just one episode initially, with a lot of make up on her to look older, she would re-appear in episodes which showed Ziva’s memories. Back home in Poland, Weronika is a celebrated actress and starred in a minor role in David Lynch’s Inland Empire, after her debut in the movie, Pitbull.
Juliette Angelo
We have seen child performer Juliette Angelo pretty much grow up in front of the camera, as she has appeared several times on NCIS, playing the role of Emily Fornell, the daughter of ex-FBI Agent, Tobias Fornell. However, she has not be seen on the show since 2016. But even before her NCIS debut, she had already acted in the shows Malibu County and Mad Men. She is also a stage actress, having acted in How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Mary Poppins.
Margo Harshman
Actress Margo Harshman’s grandma encouraged her to participate in beauty pageants at age 2! After many years spent learning the piano, acting, dancing and gymnastics, she landed her breakthrough role in The Elf Who Didn’t Believe. In 2013, she played a wheelchair-bound US Department of Defense intelligence analyst named Delilah Fielding, who was also married to the character of Special Agent Timothy McGee. After leaving the show, Margo went on to act in the Centre of the Universe and Run of the House.
Mary Mouser
Child performer Mary Mouser had an early career which most actors dream of! Even as a kid and teen, she was seen in Scrubs, Monk, King of Queens, CSI and One Life to Live. On NCIS, she was cast in the recurring role of Kelly Gibbs, the daughter of the leading character of Gibbs. Now that she’s all grown up, she has been getting some meaty roles in shows such as Body of Proof, Frenemies, Netflix’s Cobra Kai and Mind Field.
Pancho Demmings
Actor Pancho Demmings was a part of the original cast list from season one, and played the recurring role of Gerald Jackson on the show, before he left the show rather abruptly. He played assistant medical examiner to Ducky, before his character was shot and injured by a villain, and then he just disappeared. Pancho did not go on record to explain what made him leave the show, and he did get better opportunities in shows such as CSI, Bones, 24 and General Hospital.
Maria Bello
Actress Mario Bello is a familiar face when it comes to television shows and movies, as she has been on Coyote Ugly, Grown Ups 1 & 2 and ER. She also joined the NCIS cast roster in 2017, where she played the role of Dr. Jacqueline “Jack” Sloane. But after 4 years, she left the show in 2021, and bid farewell to Gibbs and his team. Although she did not have any acting projects after she left NCIS, Bello was busy writing the script for the film, The Woman King, as this is her grand screenwriting debut!
Rocky Carroll
American actor and director Rocky Carroll is best known for starring as Joey Emerson on the show Roc, Dr. Keith Wilkes in Chicago Hope and the top boss in NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans. Rocky has now starred in over 300 episodes of NCIS, as the Director of the organization, Leon Vance. Even though he leads the place, over time, he became a part of the team. Carroll says that he thought he would only last 2 seasons on the show, and yet, it’s his 15th season now!
Stephanie Mello
Before Stephanie Mello joined the cast of NCIS, she was seen in the movie Co-incidence and also played a significant role in the teen show, Growing Pains. Mello portrayed the role of Cynthia Sumner, a MTAC Tech who was introduced in the 3rd season in NCIS. She rose the ranks to become Director Shepard’s assistant, and didn’t have the most cordial relationship with Gibbs. Oddly, by season 5, Mello’s character just disappeared and she never discussed why she left the show so suddenly. She moved on to doing bit roles in other TV shows, and is not seen around much.
Catherine Bell
When she was in her sophomore year, British-American actress Catherine Bell dropped out to pursue modeling offers in Japan, and when she returned to the US, set her sights on becoming an actress. She found herself starring in JAG, Law & Order and Army Wives. Playing the role of Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie served her well, as she landed even bigger projects. She later starred in the movie The Good Witch, and subsequently in all the movies and shows that came under the franchise.
Abigail Breslin
Many famous stars have made guest appearances in an episode or two of NCIS and fans can’t recall them! One such star was the tiny little Abigail Breslin, who was one of the cutest child performers around! Before all the fame of her role in 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine, 9-year-old Abigail was cast in NCIS to play the role of a visually challenged child named Sandy. Her career really blew up ever since, as she has starred in blockbusters such as Signs, My Sister’s Keepers and the two Zombieland movies.
Susanna Thompson
In 2006, Susanna Thomson made her acting debut in the drama, The Book of Daniel, and the same year, she made a guest appearance in NCIS as Army Lieutenant Colonel Hollis Mann, who was one of the love interests of Agent Gibbs. Her biggest break would come later, when she was cast in 4 different roles in the sci-fi show, Star Trek and the movie Star Trek: Voyager. She also played psychiatrist Dr. Greta Heints in the drama procedural, Law and Order.
Marisol Nichols
You could consider Merisol’s guest appearance in one episode of NCIS as a “celebrity” gig as she had already made a name for herself by then, having been seen on Beverly Hills, 90210, Vegas Vacation, and Scream II. On NCIS, she was seen as ATF Special Agent Zoe Keates and the girlfriend of NCIS team member Anthony D. DiNozzo. More recently, you may have seen her on the series GCB, MTV’s Teen Wolf and in actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth’s music video, for the track ‘I Want Somebody.’
Jacqueline Obradors
Actress Jacqueline Obradors was already well-known in the industry for her roles in Six Days, Seven Nights, NYPD Blue and A Man Apart, and voice over acting in Atlantis: The Lost Empire, when she made a guest appearance in NCIS for just three episodes. She played Paloma Reynosa, an unlikely ring leader of a narcotics cartel! She kept the NCIS team on their feet and managed to stay a steap ahead of them, until Paloma was killed by her own brother!
Claudia Black
Like many Australian artists like her, actress Claudia Black started her career in the Aussie soap opera, Home and Away. She became internationally known for starring in Farscape and Stargate SG-1 in various seasons. She then was seen in NCIS guesting in an episode that saw her as a bike-riding, tattooed, narcotics dealer. These days, she is busy with voice over projects, both for video games like the popular Call of Duty game and animated shows such as Rick and Morty.
Darby Stanchfield
After sharpening her acting skills on the stage, actress Darby Stanchfield first debuted on television with the show Diagnoses: Murder, and the acted in the films The Picture of Dorian Gray and Waitress. Then she was cast as Shannon Gibbs, the deceased wife of Jethro Gibbs, who occasionally appeared in his memories in NCIS. Her time on the show was short, and became more famous for starring as Abby Whelan in the political drama show, Scandal. After that, we saw her in Gladiator Wanted and The Noise.
Sarah Clarke
When she first guested on NCIS, actress Sarah Clarke was already a television vet, having established herself as Nina Myers on the action show, 24. She also played Bella Swan’s mother in the 2008 movie Twilight! NCIS would tease her entry into the show after a guest role, but her character, FBI Special Agent Tess Monroe would remain a recurring role only. Since then, you must have seen her on the show Trust Me, Covert Affairs and the Amazon show Bosch.
Laura San Giacomo
Laura San Giacomo has made quite a few guest appearances on NCIS, as Dr. Grace Confalone, but, she remained a tiny part of the NCIS universe. She became Gibbs’ confidante in the show, and someone he turned to when he needed advice. Although, these days, we hardly ever see Laura in movies or on TV shows, but her two most popular projects remain Pretty Woman (where she played Julia Roberts’ best friend) and on the comedy show, Just Shoot Me! We hope to see her soon on NCIS or otherwise!