After ‘Friends’ came to an end, Jennifer Aniston considered taking a role in a popular police drama, NCIS.
The third longest-running scripted prime-time TV show presently airing is NCIS, one of the most well-known crime programs of all time. After all, this program has aired continuously for 20 seasons and over 450 episodes since its debut in 2003. Despite the fact that NCIS was initially a spin-off, the popularity of this military police procedural TV series gave rise to a franchise of other closely related TV shows.
Jamie Lee Curtis and Bob Newhart are just two of the famous performers who have made memorable cameos on NCIS over the years. But did you know that the show’s first season was expected to include a bigger actress in a pivotal role? In actuality, discussions to have Jennifer Aniston join the cast of NCIS failed.
Jennifer Aniston Was Considered To Play An Important Role In NCIS
2003 saw the launch of NCIS, the same year that Friends came to an end. Unbelievable as it may seem, Friends star Jennifer Aniston was a contender for a significant part in this CBS police drama series. Aniston expressed interest in appearing on the show early on, according to the oral history of NCIS published by The Hollywood Reporter, which included insights from the show’s producers, casting directors, and creators. After reading the script, the Friends star decided she wanted to play Special Agent Caitlin Todd. She simply didn’t have time to be a regular on another show at the time because she was working on the final season of Friends.
“I think Jennifer Aniston was available at the time, and her name was floated,” Charles Floyd Johnson, an executive producer for the series, admitted. However, NCIS casting director Susan Bluestein recalls something different. “I don’t remember ever offering it to Jennifer Aniston,” she explained, noting that the actress “could very well have been a name that we discussed.”
Aniston wasn’t the only A-lister considered for a key role on NCIS. As it turns out, producers also considered hiring a former Star Wars star to play the lead on the show. “I know Harrison Ford was a name that everybody thought about for [Leroy Jethro] Gibbs because he was so perfect,” Johnson revealed. “But I don’t think it ever got further than, it was a name thrown out.”
This Actress Beat Jennifer Aniston To The Role Of Caitlin Todd In NCIS
Sasha Alexander was cast in the Caitlin Todd role because Jennifer Aniston was unable to do it due to work obligations. But another actress had been considered for the part before this one. Alexander didn’t show up in the two-episode pilot for NCIS. Instead, Agent Vivian Blackadder was played by Robyn Lively, Blake Lively’s older half-sister.
According to Charles Floyd Johnson, the executive producer of the series, “They liked her, but they didn’t think she quite worked.” “CBS decided to go on after the series was picked up, so that’s what they stated. Then, when we were looking for a character, Sasha unexpectedly joined us. Robyn Lively was someone I adored, but those things do happen. In the end, Caitlin Todd’s character took Lively’s spot.
Ultimately, Sasha Alexander played Caitlin Todd in 50 episodes of NCIS. However, her character was killed at the end of season 2. The reason for this was that the actress decided to leave the show, due to its demanding work schedule.
“People don’t realize that on a network show, you make 24 episodes a year — that’s 10½ months a year, 17 hours a day. It’s hardcore,” Alexander revealed in an interview for TV Guide, in which she also admitted she was not happy with the way producers handled her exit.
“Plus, people really loved the character, and the way they did it was really shocking…it was a bullet to the head, you know?”
What Happened To Sasha Alexander After Leaving NCIS?
The first actor to leave NCIS was Sasha Alexander, however she returned a few times to reprise her Caitlin Todd character. Although her wealth may have increased dramatically if she had chosen to remain on NCIS for a longer period of time, it appears that Alexander made the right decision at the time. Alexander kept performing after leaving this well-liked procedural drama series. Over the years, this actress has made various notable television shows and motion pictures. Her most notable roles have been in the films Lucky 13, Yes Man, He’s Just Not That Into You, Mission: Impossible III, The Ride, and a role in the NCIS-like television series FBI.
However, her two most noteworthy roles as her portrayal of Maura Isles in the series Rizzoli & Isles and her role as Helene Runyon in the SAG Award-winning series Shameless.