As NCIS ventures Down Under with NCIS: Sydney, the spinoff boasts a diverse cast of seasoned veterans and rising TV stars from Australia.
New international spin-off for the long-running American TV series NCIS is NCIS: Sydney, a Paramount+ title with an ensemble cast full of talented Australian performers. NCIS, which dates back to 2003, began as a criminal procedural based on the operations of the U.S. Navy Department’s Naval Criminal Investigative Service. NCIS quickly attracted widespread attention to the point where it spawned three equally successful spin-off series: NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, and NCIS: Hawaii. However, NCIS: Sydney is distinct in that its actions take place outside of America. The special agents of the team look into a variety of crimes around the Indo-Pacific area in NCIS: Sydney.
With the debut season released on Paramount+, the NCIS: Sydney spinoff already includes Easter eggs and connections with the original series. Boasting Australian producers on its roster, the show also includes a largely local cast featuring well-known talents from the country’s own television industry. The six series regulars each play a character with a specific set of skills and talents to bring to the table. Despite sharing the same modus operandi, each of these characters has a different reason for joining NCIS. With the casting done right, NCIS: Sydney stands out on its own while also drawing the attention of dedicated NCIS fans.
7. Olivia Swann As Michelle Mackey
The Special Agent in Charge of NCIS Michelle Mackey is the team’s fearless and direct leader, making all the decisions. Mackey, a decorated former pilot in the Marine Corps, has been extremely nomadic because to her impetuous temperament. Olivia Swann, who fans of the Arrowverse will recognize as the tragic soul dealer Astra Logue—one of the strongest characters in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow—plays the fiery protagonist with great skill. The lead character of NCIS: Sydney, Karissa, was also a trapped tourist in the 2023 thriller River Wild. Reimagining The River Wild from 1994, Swann starred with Taran Killiam, a former Saturday Night Live cast member, and Leighton Meester from Gossip Girl.
6. Todd Lasance As Jim “JD” Dempsey
The second-in-command of the team is the Australian Federal Police (AFP) sergeant Jim Dempsey, aka JD. An experienced veteran in the force, his ideological clashes with Mackey are interesting to watch throughout NCIS: Sydney. The secondary protagonist is played by Todd Lasance, an Australian TV star known for playing the redemption-seeking teenager Aden Jeffries in the soap opera Home and Away. His American appearances include the Roman general and emperor Julius Caesar in Spartacus: War of the Damned, the antagonistic speedster Edward Clariss (Reverse-Flash) in The Flash, and the Traveler (an ancient witch) Julian in The Vampire Diaries.
5. Sean Sagar As DeShawn Jackson
NCIS Special Agent DeShawn Jackson is always ready to help out his superiors. Occasionally, he can let go of his uptight personality and loosen up a little. The optimistic character is played by Sean Sagar who has had regular roles in Fate: The Winx Saga and Our Girl, in which he played the Alfea College graduate fairy Marco and the grief-stricken British Army Private Jaiden “Monk” Montgomery, respectively. His filmography also includes some of the best recent Guy Richie movies. He appeared in Richie’s crime-comedy The Gentlemen as a street-level criminal named Mal and later in the director’s war drama The Covenant as yet another soldier, Charlie “Jizzy” Crow.
4. Tuuli Narkle As Constable Evie Cooper
A Liaison Officer on behalf of the Australian Federal Police, Constable Evie Cooper can be very sassy and outspoken toward her colleagues. While she means no harm, her self-important nature can drive her at odds with other NCIS: Sydney characters, particularly DeShawn. Evie is played by Tuuli Narkle, who earned raves for her breakout role in the Australian mystery drama series Mystery Road: Origin. Narkle played a major role in the flashback sequences as a younger version of Mary Swan, the love interest and later ex-wife of brooding police detective Jay Swan.
3. Mavournee Hazel As Bluebird “Blue” Gleeson
Bluebird Gleeson is an excellent forensic scientist for the AFP, but she can be put off by her acute self-doubting tendencies and social discomfort. Mavournee Hazel joins the cast of NCIS: Sydney to portray this compelling character, whose dark past and menacing nature are gradually revealed as the show progresses. In the Apple TV+ drama Shantaram, Hazel costarred with Charlie Hunnam, another Australian celebrity, as Gemma, the former partner of the title character. Her most well-known role was that of Piper Willis, an adolescent girl who loved vlogging, in the popular Australian serial drama Neighbours.
2. William McInnes As Roy Penrose
An ex-Australian Navy Medic, Roy Penrose works with the team as a forensic pathologist. He might seem like he hides his emotions, but he too has many layers to his personality, as his interactions with his junior, Bluebird Gleeson, reveal. The pathology expert is played by William McInnes, who is well-known in Australia for roles like Senior Constable Nick Schultz in the police procedural Blue Heelers, and the tyrannical and bigoted boss Lindsay Cunningham in the journalism-themed drama The Newsreader. He also gained acclaim for starring in the 2007 film Unfinished Sky as John Woldring, a recently widowed farmer in the Australian Outback.
All NCIS Spin-offs
NCIS: Los Angeles (2009-2023)
NCIS: New Orleans (2014-2021)
NCIS: Hawai’i (2021-)
NCIS: Sydney (2023-)
1. NCIS: Sydney Supporting Cast & Characters
Lewis Fitz-Gerald as Colonel Richard Rankin – An official for the Department of Defense. The Australian actor is a part of the Riddick franchise cast as he played the weapons-selling antique dealer Paris P Ogilvie in Pitch Black. He also had an uncredited appearance as an Attorney in the superhero thriller The Wolverine.
Daniela Farinacci as Susan Quinn – The Foreign Minister. Daniela Farni was previously credited as a Tutor in the Oscar-nominated drama Lion and multiple characters in the long-running police series Blue Heelers. Bert LaBonté as Ken Carter – An NCIS agent attached to the NCIS: Sydney characters. Bert LaBonté is a character actor who played multiple roles in cult Australian shows like Blue Heelers and Neighbours. He also had a brief role in the Oscar-nominated 2010 crime drama Animal Kingdom.
Brendan Maclean as Barefoot Protester: In Baz Luhrmman’s 2013 rendition of The Great Gatsby, Brendan Maclean played Klipspringer, a frequent party guest of Jay Gatsby. Bob Hawke is a bar manager played by Joshua McElroy. Joshua McElroy earned supporting roles in TV series and short films, including the jail-themed Breakout: The Escapementary and the Max original Frayed, before joining the cast of NCIS: Sydney.