Still in its first season, NCIS: Origins has expanded its cast list to include a wife to Patrick Fischler’s character, head of NIS’s Pendleton Office, Special Agent in Charge Cliff Wheeler. Per TVLine, Lauren Bowles, Fischler’s real-life wife, will portray the new character in an upcoming episode of the procedural. Bowles is well-known for starring as a Wiccan, Holly Cleary, in the vampire TV series True Blood, which aired from September 2008 to August 2014.
In an upcoming episode of the NCIS prequel spinoff, Bowles will appear as SAC Wheeler’s wife, Shelly — a travel agent who is trying desperately to keep her family together despite a rebellious son and a husband who’s battling to keep his head above water. One more character yet to be cast in the same episode is Cliff and Shelly’s son, “a rebellious, mullet-rocking, GnR-loving 15-year-old who feels a lot of resentment toward his dad.” The outlet also reports that these two new roles have the potential to recur.
Bowles has been married to Fischler, whom she met in college, since 2004. They have a daughter, Fia Lucille Fischler, born in April 2009. Besides starring in True Blood, the actress has been involved in a couple of TV projects over the years. Some of these include Arrested Development, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Judging Amy, Private Practice, How to Get Away With Murder, Veep, The Messengers, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Seinfeld, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ NBC sitcom Watching Ellie. Bowles will also be seen this year in The Hunting Wives, Starz’s drama series based on May Cobb’s novel.
Will ‘NCIS: Origins’ Have Another Season?
In other NCIS: Origins news, the series has still not been renewed for a second season, but fans remain hopeful thanks to co-showrunners David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal’s promising update last December. Speaking about the chances of the series getting another season, North said:
“We’re really proud of what we’re making, and the goal is always, obviously, to get as many eyes on it as possible. I know that we’re doing well on Paramount+; after we air the following day, we’re always in the Top 10.”
Monreal added:
“I do know that CBS and Paramount are in it for the long haul, so we just try to keep our heads down and write as good of material as possible. And this cast, they’re fantastic, they really are. I think we have something special here, and I hope everybody comes on board.”