Discover what Mark Harmon, Pauley Perrette, and other people are doing right now. The original NCIS ensemble has continued to expand, with some performers appearing for just one season and others appearing for 20. There is no denying the connection that the series developed with its performers, even if the roles of Gibbs and Katie were originally being considered for A-list actors like Harrison Ford and Jennifer Aniston.
From OG series regulars to recurring roles to current cast members, find out what your favorite NCIS stars are doing now.
Mark Harmon
Mark Harmon starred in the backdoor pilot episodes of JAG that led to its spinoff, NCIS. He led the cast of NCIS for 18 full seasons as Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs and became an executive producer on the series in 2008. He exited the series in Season 19, Episode 4, “Great Wide Open.”
When Harmon’s character was fired from the television show Chicago Hope, he declared, “The longest time I ever spent anywhere at any one time was five years on Chicago Hope.” This program is still amazing after 19 years and continues to accomplish what it’s doing. I doubt it will ever occur once more. Both this show and the people here make me proud. This team, this family, and this group have been through a lot together, and I’m proud of them for sticking with it for as long as the majority of us have.”
Following Harmon’s exit from the show, he worked with the series’ technical advisor, an actual former NCIS agent Leon Carroll, Jr., on the book Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese Spy, A Japanese American Spy Hunter, and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor.
Pauley Perrette
Pauley Perrette was a fan favorite as the quirky, mall goth forensics specialist Abbey Sciuto, and the role was a special one for her: She studied criminal science before becoming an actor. She played Abby for the first 15 seasons of NCIS, then starred in the series Broke in 2020, which was unfortunately canceled after a single season.
David McCallum
A veteran of the crime and action genre from his days on The Man From U.N.CL.E. series, David McCallum starred as the NCIS chief medical examiner Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard since Season 1. McCallum died on Sept. 25, 2023, at age 90.
NCIS executive producers Seven D. Binder and David North released a statement saying that David McCallum “endeared himself to audiences around the world for over 20 years playing the wise, quirky, and sometimes enigmatic, Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard.” But as much as his admirers may have adored him, David was perhaps more adored by those who collaborated with him. He was a scholar and a gentleman, always polite, a true professional, and he never missed an opportunity to crack a joke. It was a privilege to work with him right away, and he never let us down. He was a legend, to put it simply. He was also a member of my family, and he will be missed.
Michael Weatherly
Michael Weatherly starred as Senior Field Agent Anthony DiNozzo from Season 1 to 13, then left to star in Bull from 2016 to 2022. Weatherly was accused of sexually harassing Eliza Dushku on the set of Bull, leading CBS to pay her a $9.5 million settlement. When the allegations went public, Weatherly said in a statement, “When Eliza told me that she wasn’t comfortable with my language and attempt at humor, I was mortified to have offended her and immediately apologized.”
Sasha Alexander
Sasha Alexander starred in the first two seasons of NCIS as Caitlin Todd until her character was killed off. She went on to star in TNT’s Rizzoli & Isles and Shameless, and later directed an episode of Netflix thriller You.
Sean Murray
Sean Murray was a recurring star as Senior Field Agent Timothy McGee in Season 1 before being bumped up to a series regular in Season 2. Murray is the stepson of NCIS co-creator and co-executive producer Donald Bellisario.
Cote de Pablo
Though she’s actually of Chilean descent in real life, Cote de Pablo is best known for playing former Israeli Mossad agent Ziva David in NCIS. She was a series regular from Season 3 until Season 11, after which she said she left because she didn’t think the scripts were that great anymore. It was believed that her character died offscreen, but in Season 16, she made a surprise guest appearance, in which it was revealed that Ziva was alive and had been in hiding. She recurred on the show again in Season 17.
Rocky Carroll
Rocky Carroll began his NCIS tenure as a recurring guest star in Season 5, playing NCIS director Leon Vance. In Season 6, he was upped to a series regular, with his character taking over for Holly’s Jenny Shepard. In addition to his work on NCIS, he’s also directed an episode of Magnum P.I., starred in the TV movie The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and lent his voice to several animated projects and video games.
Emily Wickersham
Emily Wickersham’s role of Eleanor Bishop started as an NSA agent in a Season 11 guest role. After de Pablo’s exit, Wickersham was upped to a series regular, and eventually Bishop was promoted to an NCIS agent. She left NCIS after Season 18 in 2021 and has stayed mostly under the radar since.
Duane Henry
Duane Henry debuted on NCIS in Season 13 as a guest star, then became a series regular until Season 15. His character, Clayton Reeves, was killed off in Season 15, Episode 22, “Two Steps Back,” in part because no one was sure how to develop his character after the death of NCIS co-creator and showrunner Gary Glasberg in 2016.
Wilmer Valderrama
Wilmer Valderrama debuted on NCIS as NCIS Special Agent Nicholas “Nick” Torres in Season 14 and remains on the series today. Valderrama’s breakout role was as Fez on That ’70s Show, a role he reprised in Netflix’s That ’90s Show. He also voiced several animated characters, including the titular Handy Manny, Gaxton in Disney’s Onward and Agustín Madrigal in Encanto.
Brian Dietzen
Brian Dietzen has been on NCIS since Season 1 as Dr. Jimmy Palmer, upping from a recurring role to a series regular. He’s also written for the series. Dietzen suffered a stroke in 2020 and underwent heart surgery. He’s since fully recovered.
Diona Reasonover
Diona Reasonover stars as NCIS Forensic Specialist Kasie Hines, beginning as a recurring character in Season 15 and moving up to a series regular. Reasonover is also a writer on the show.