Actors on “NCIS” aren’t all excited about leaving. Here’s what one actor had to say about getting the call from the showrunners on the passing of his character. Season 21 of the popular CBS series NCIS will soon premiere, and viewers are eager to see who will return. The show has abruptly murdered off a number of characters in the past. Additionally, according to the show’s writers, one NCIS actor wasn’t pleased with how his character was slain.
‘NCIS’ creators said actor Muse Watson was ‘very unhappy’ about getting killed off in season 8
Since NCIS started in 2003, fans have seen several of their favorite characters leave. As much as we’d love to see most of the characters make it through every season, the actors have their reasons for calling it quits. And sometimes, it’s not up to the actors at all. Instead, the creators have their own plans that go against everything that actors hope for.
The Hollywood Reporter interviewed the creators of NCIS regarding character deaths throughout time. Executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson quipped, “There’s a joke sometimes where people would say, ‘You never know who’s going to survive on NCIS.'” “Because Lauren Holly, who plays Jenny Shepard, was present and followed that path along with a few others.” Additionally, some fans took issue with the fact that women consistently moved faster than men. However, it managed to hold viewers’ interest.
Johnson went on to say that Muse Watson, who portrayed Supervisory Special Agent Mike Franks in season 8, wasn’t pleased with his demise. The executive producer said, “Muse Watson played a character where he was an old NCIS investigator who would come and go.” He would watch the show two or three times a season, and he was a huge fan before he was assassinated. I am aware of how miserable he was.
Muse Watson said leaving the show was like ‘losing an old friend’
Muse Watson didn’t keep quiet after his NCIS character was killed. He shared his feelings about Mike Franks’ death while speaking to NCIS fanatic in 2012.
“To be fair, I think in planning it, it sounded good. But the way it played out, I think Mike needed more,” Watson stated.
Watson added that he found out his character would die while filming a Christmas production in Branson, Missouri. The executive producer and a writer from NCIS called the actor. “I kind of figured it would be them proposing his death,” he added. “At that point, I heard their idea. It’s like losing an old friend. But, I gotta be honest with you, this is my living, too, so it’s like losing a job. I wasn’t too excited about it.”
The creators told Watson he shouldn’t fear losing screentime, though, as they wanted him to reappear as a ghost.
Several past cast members explained why they left the series
A few other characters left for other causes, but Muse Watson’s NCIS character was killed off. Stars who the public loved, such as Michael Weatherly, Mark Harmon, and Cote de Pablo, gave their reasons for wanting to leave the series.
De Pablo emphasized that her desire to depart was due to the plot. “Hey, this character is my favorite. I spent eight years nurturing and developing this character,” she reportedly remarked, as reported by Digital Spy. Therefore, no amount of money could persuade the character to stay when I sensed or felt that she was not receiving the respect that she deserved.
As for Weatherly, he left after feeling burnt out from the series, and he pursued another acting gig with the TV series Bull. Harmon left after spending two decades on the series, but he still serves as an executive producer.