Emily Wickersham is a 39-year-old Hollywood actress who was born in Kansas on April 26, 1984. She gained notoriety for her portrayal of Special Agent Eleanor Bishop on the hit television show “NCIS.” Following the departure of fan favorite Cote de Pablo, she joined the long-running show. After spending eight years on the series, De Pablo’s contract discussions broke off, which prompted quite the shake-up with the show, particularly with regard to production. Gary Glasberg, the showrunner of the series, took a calculated risk by delaying Ziva David’s (de Pablo’s character) replacement.
Glasberg aimed to develop the new agent as distinctively different from David as possible. A plethora of actresses coming from London, New York, and Los Angeles were taken into consideration for the role. From that talent pool of a hundred or so, four were flown in to do on-screen auditions with the series’ lead, Mark Harmon, and other actors. Wickersham was one of the actresses who had made it to the final four, and according to Glasberg:
“…she does this fantastic scene with Mark Harmon that left us all looking saying, ‘I think that’s it.’ “
The college dropout who took acting classes and did public speaking to face her fears was also tested off-camera by her fellow castmates. Sean Murray, who plays Special Agent Timothy McGee, described how even when Wickersham was vetted in between scenes and during lunch breaks, she was more than able to tackle whatever was placed in front of her.
As an actress who scored her big break on one of the most-watched television shows, Wickersham loved getting to play her role. A couple of years ago, while being interviewed about her time on “NCIS,” Wickersham gushed:
“I really love it, you know, it’s been really fun. I’ve been on the…show for five seasons, and it is a really awesome job to get to do every day.”
Leaving ‘NCIS’ and Divorcing Her Ex-husband Three Years Before
After nearly eight years on the show and 172 episodes, Wickersham retired from her role and made her exit. In May 2021, the “Gone” talent took to social media to announce that she left “NCIS.”
She shared a set of three monochrome images of herself taken at various points throughout filming. The images featured a few behind-the-scenes photos of Wickersham acting. Wickersham was shown grinning widely in the first two, and sternly conversing with someone who appeared to be the show’s director in the final picture. Her sincere caption expressed how appreciative she was to be a part of the series and how much she loved getting to collaborate with such incredible people.
Given all the exciting new developments that have taken shape in her life since her time on “NCIS,” it’s safe to say that Wickersham has undergone a lot of changes. Wickersham also made mention of how rare it was for an actor to experience consistency in a business that is often finicky. Another part of her message read:
“…I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of a show where I got to show up and act and laugh and learn with wonderful people. A moment in time I surely won’t forget. Thank you CBS and NCIS for including me in a part of television history…”
During her time on “NCIS,” Wickersham was also married to musician Blake Hanley. However, the pair ended up divorcing in December 2018. A year after the former couple divorced, Hanley went on to perform at a music festival after coming back home from living in Los Angeles with his ex-wife. In an interview, he candidly addressed how the divorce affected him. Of his split from Wickersham, the artist shared:
“Coming home after such a long time, it felt odd. I had gone through a lot of heartbreak. With everything I’ve gone through, it has been a year…it has been a journey.”
However, sometime after their breakup, Hanley was able to move on with another woman. He also became a father when he and his partner welcomed a daughter together.
Emily Wickersham’s Life after ‘NCIS’: Finding Love Again, Becoming a Mom and a New Hair Color
Like her ex, Wickersham was able to move on and find love again. These days, the former “NCIS” star is in a relationship with fellow actor James Badge Dale.
The lovebirds also welcomed a son, Cassius, in December 2021. Of his arrival, doting mama bear Wickersham swooned:
“…You are more than @jamesbadgedale and I could ever have imagined ❤️ We are so in love with you.”
It’s easy to assume that Wickersham has changed a lot in light of all the wonderful new occurrences that have occurred in her life since her time on “NCIS.” Her decision to try out a new hair color was another factor that contributed to the transformations she has since gone through. Her fans recognized her by her unusual blonde hair during her tenure on the show. But the “I Am Number Four” actor startled everyone last year by going brunette.
She posted pictures of herself on her social media, which showed her usual blonde do fashioned into a dark brown color. One of her captions read, “[D]o brunettes have more fun?”
Although Wickersham kept her hair a dark brown color for a while, she ultimately returned to her blonde tresses in July of this year. Speaking of this year, the now-blonde-again mom and her beau will soon be celebrating their little boy’s second birthday at the end of December.