NCIS Cast Secrets- Why So Many Stars Left the Show

As of 2021, NCIS is entering its nineteenth season as a top-rated naval drama, but despite the show’s popularity, it’s come with its fair share of drama on set, leading to a handful of stars quitting and never looking back. You can rest assured that, at least for now, Mark Harmon will be staying on the show as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. (You’ll have to determine whether that’s a good or bad thing after you read through this list!) But as for everyone else in the cast, it seems to be up for debate who stays and who goes.

Now, former cast members are dishing on the drama that led to them walking away from the show for good!

Zoe McLellan as Meredith Brody

Zoe McLellan’s character, Meredith “Merri” Brody, is a senior special agent with NCIS with a background in interrogation and a black belt in aikido. McLellan joined the NCIS cast during season 11 in 2014 and went on to be a star in the spinoff, NCIS- New Orleans. After just two seasons she left in 2016, reportedly due to a “creative decision,” but the true story of why she left turned out to be a bit more controversial than that…

Why Zoe McLellan Left the Show

Years later, former showrunner Jeffrey Lieber admitted that he’d been put under pressure by the show’s higher-ups to fire Zoe McLellan, and that initially, he didn’t understand why they wanted her gone when he (and the audience) were consistently satisfied with her performance. He then claimed that one of the executives admitted that they wanted her gone because they didn’t find her attractive. Lieber himself was let go from the show and was replaced by someone else who then was fired several years later allegedly for even more misogynistic misconduct toward women.

Cote de Pablo as Ziva David

Cote de Pablo portrayed Ziva David for eight seasons on NCIS as a regular cast member. After de Pablo’s character was written off the show in 2013, she stated that she was not ready to talk about what led up to that decision. “As far as my decision to leave, that’s a personal thing, and I’d rather leave it at that,” she told TV Guide not long after her departure. But Ziva wasn’t killed off, which gave fans a glimmer of hope that maybe she could still come back. So what WAS the reason she left?

Why Cote de Pablo Left the Show

“I didn’t leave because I wanted to go or because I was ready or because I was tired. I didn’t really have an option,” de Pablo told USA Today. In a 2016 interview, she revealed that she left the show because she didn’t agree with the direction the producers were taking her character. “Look, I love this character. I worked eight years crafting this character and loving her. And so, when I felt or I perceived that the character was not being treated with the respect that she deserved, no money in the world would make me stay.” But to make matters more complicated, de Pablo later retracted her statements, claiming it was taken out of context and that she still isn’t quite ready to talk about why she left, so at the end of the day, your guess is as good as ours!

Michael Weatherly as Tony DiNozzo

Michael Weatherly played special agent Tony DiNozzo for an impressive 13 seasons and 305 episodes on NCIS. He also appeared in the spinoffs NCIS- Los Angeles, and NCIS- New Orleans. His character is the senior field agent of the Major Case Response Team and is known for being an outgoing former jock whose charismatic demeanor helps him effectively do undercover work and deal with conflict within the agency. Weatherly and his character were beloved on the show…so why did he decide to leave?

Why Michael Weatherly Left the Show

In January 2016, Weatherly shocked NCIS fans by tweeting that he would be leaving the show for good. “I will miss the amazing crew and cast, who are like family to me,” he wrote. “And to the fans all over the world – THANK YOU, it’s been a fantastic ride!” He later stated that he had been wanting to branch out and play other characters and that he felt that it was an ideal time for him to leave the show. It wasn’t long at all before he got his next big acting gig, so clearly, he made the right decision!

Pauley Perrette as Abigail Sciuto

Pauley Perrette’s character, the pig-tailed forensic scientist Abby Sciuto, was an NCIS fan favorite for an impressive 15 seasons. She was even featured in four episodes of the show’s spinoffs, NCIS- Los Angeles, and NCIS- New Orleans. Abby Sciuto was such a beloved character that Perrette became one of the biggest actresses on American primetime television in 2011. Her huge popularity just made her departure in 2018 that much more shocking. Here’s what happened on the set that made her want to leave the show for good…

Why Pauley Perrette Left the Show

Perrette reportedly had a LOT of tension with co-star Mark Harmon, to the point where the two demanded to have completely different shooting schedules. The tension started in 2016 when Harmon’s dog attacked a crew member, putting them in the hospital. In turn, Perrette was very vocal about Harmon not bringing the dog back on set because of how uncomfortable it was making the rest of the cast and crew. Then in 2019, Perrette tweeted out that she was downright terrified of Harmon and that she even had nightmares about him. Needless to say, she was firm with fans about the fact that she would not be returning to the show.

Adam Jamal Craig as Dominic Vail

When you’re acting in a show like NCIS, you have to constantly be aware of the fact that your character could be killed off. That’s exactly what happened to Adam Jamal Craig (pictured, right), who played rookie agent Dominic “Dom” Vail, who was originally supposed to be a series regular in the spinoff NCIS- Los Angeles. Dom appeared in the first 13 episodes before being abducted, which consequently put his character on hiatus. Here’s why the show’s executives made that decision…

Why Adam Jamal Craig Left the Show

Executive producer Shane Brennan apparently has a bit of a sick sense of humor. He simply had Dom killed off the show because he wanted to keep the audience on their toes. “I’m a great believer in playing with the audience’s expectations,” he said. “I want them to know that nothing is sacred. And the cast is aware that this is the game I play. No one’s safe.” That kind of mindset seems like it would easily create a tense environment on set, but Adam Jamal Craig took it in stride, stating that while he had “big hopes for Agent Vail,” he still had “complete trust and respect in Brennan’s vision for the characters and the world he created.”

Lauren Holly as Jenny Shepard

Lauren Holly played Director Jenny Shepard, a regular on the show for three seasons between 2005 and 2008. Interestingly, the role was initially only intended to be a six-episode stint, which Holly was fine with as it meant she could spend more time with her family. But when the show’s producers decided to keep her character on as a regular, Holly and her family packed their bags and moved from Chicago to Los Angeles, staying there for two years.

Why Lauren Holly Left the Show

Holly has said that while she greatly appreciated her time on NCIS and made a lot of friends, ultimately she didn’t agree with the new creative team that was brought on board. “I was saddened that NCIS co-creator Don Bellisario was forced out, and I missed him a lot,” she wrote on her website. Holly also admitted to getting bored, writing, “To be honest, now that the work bug had bitten me again, I got bored with my part of the ‘Director.'” Needless to say, she wasn’t too upset when she found out that her character was to be killed off.

Sasha Alexander as Caitlin Todd

Sasha Alexander played Special Agent Caitlin Todd, staying on the show until the season two finale. She was such a pivotal character that the entire pilot episode in 2003 was based around her character joining the NCIS team. She walked away from the show as a full-time cast member after season two, and in season three, she was credited as a guest star in a two-part episode before she finally decided to leave for good…

Why Sasha Alexander Left the Show

Sasha Alexander and Donald Bellisario are very open about why she left the show. “People don’t realize that on a network show you make 24 episodes a year – that’s ten and a half months a year, 17 hours a day. It’s hardcore,” said Alexander. “I had already started writing the last episode of the season and was getting ready to go to Australia to take a little break,” Bellisario told the Chicago Tribune in 2005. “She came in two days before I was due to leave, and with tears in her eyes, she said, ‘I just can’t work this hard.'” Although Alexander was under contract with CBS at the time, Bellisario advocated for her and urged network executives to release her from the contract. “You don’t want to force someone to work when she says this is not what she expected it to be,” said Bellisario.

Emily Wickersham as Ellie Bishop

Emily Wickersham’s character, NSA Analyst Ellie Bishop, first appears in season 11. She is portrayed as a country girl from Oklahoma whose boss calls her a “reclusive data freak.” The character also loves food and is constantly shown eating snacks at her desk, claiming that she associates specific memories with whatever food she was eating at the time. While Wickersham stuck through the show for an impressive eight seasons, she decided it was time to call it quits after the season 18 finale.

Why Emily Wickersham Left the Show

Ellie Bishop was written off the show by going on a secret solo undercover mission. It’s still not fully clear why Emily Wickersham wanted to be written off, but it seems that she left on good terms considering that her character was not killed off. Perhaps she was simply looking for other acting opportunities and felt that the role was getting stale after eight years. But given that she left the door open after her departure, perhaps she’ll return in future episodes?

Duane Henry as Clayton Reeves

Duane Henry played British M16 Intelligence Operative Clayton Reeves. His character first appeared in season 13, but returned in season 14 as the main character, often randomly popping up with information important to the case at hand. When Henry first started the role, he was forced to couch surf, as he was brand new to Los Angeles. But when co-star Pauley Perrette heard about this, she offered to let him stay in one of her houses!

Why Duane Henry Left the Show

Duane Henry left the show in pretty much the most heartfelt way possible. After two seasons, his character is killed off while trying to save Perrette’s character Abby. “To be wrapping up with her was incredible, a dream come true for anyone,” he said in an interview with TVLine. The character was created by showrunner Gary Glasberg, who passed away while the show was still being filmed, leaving the cast (especially Henry) unsure of where the character would go next. “When he passed, I was feeling a bit of panic in people’s faces,” said Henry.

Miguel Ferrer as Owen Granger

Miguel Ferrer played Assistant Director Owen Granger on NCIS- Los Angeles. He was a recurring character in seasons three and four, and a main character in seasons five through eight. Then, when Ferrer was diagnosed with throat cancer in real life, producers incorporated his sickness into the show. Eventually, Granger begins having trouble speaking, and his health declines, which was a reflection of Ferrer’s health in real life as caused by cancer. It all seemed like a twisted turn of fate, given that Ferrer was known for his voice.

Why Miguel Ferrer Left the Show

Unfortunately, Miguel Ferrer passed away in 2017, but his legacy will live on through the show. He was known for his dedication and contributions to acting, and even stayed in the role as Owen Granger right up until his death. “The most important thing to Ferrer was working,” said the show’s executive producer R. Scott Gemmill. “He loved the craft and he kept working all the time – even when we didn’t want him to work.”

Lucas Black as Christopher LaSalle

Lucas Black’s character Senior Special Agent Christopher LaSalle became one of the leads of the spinoff, NCIS- New Orleans, starring in more than 140 episodes in total. The former University of Alabama mascot and magna cum laude recipient quickly became a fan favorite, so understandably, fans were especially shocked when they learned that the character was to be killed off in season six. Click to the next slide to learn why Black made the decision to leave…

Why Lucas Black Left the Show

In an official video statement posted to the NCIS Twitter page, Black said, “This show has been so good to me over the years – exceeding my expectations and goals. But this job isn’t easy for me, there are a lot of priorities in my life that get sacrificed for me to be here. But it’s time for me to focus on those priorities in my life.” While that was Black’s official statement, other sources theorized that he may have wanted to leave so that he could focus more on his roles in the Fast & Furious franchise. Pictured is a scene from The Fast and the Furious- Tokyo Drift.

Jennifer Esposito as Alex Quinn

Jennifer Esposito played Alex Quinn for just 24 episodes in season 14. “We couldn’t be happier to have Jennifer Esposito joining us for season 14,” said NCIS executive producer Gary Glasberg. “She embodies everything that we hoped for in the character of Quinn and we can’t wait to have her come be a part of our team.” Then in a move that greatly surprised fans, she was written off the show in the season finale in 2017.

Why Jennifer Esposito Left the Show

Rumors began flying that Esposito had left NCIS because of health concerns due to a diagnosis of celiac disease. While she was working on the show Blue Bloods in the past, her character was written off after 46 episodes because she was only able to work on a “limited, part-time schedule,” according to the network. Fans speculated this was due to her health, but then Esposito told Dr. Drew that she left because the network had her working more hours than she had agreed to in her contract. So who’s being truthful?

Muse Watson as Mike Franks

Starting in 2006, Muse Watson had a recurring guest role as Special Agent Mike Franks, also known as Agent Gibbs’ (played by Mark Harmon) former mentor and partner. Franks was introduced in flashbacks in the episode “Hiatus Part I.” But unfortunately, he was killed off the show during season 8, despite producers loving the character. So, with that in mind, why did they decide to get rid of him then? Was there some kind of drama behind the scenes?

Why Muse Watson Left the Show

Nope. As it turns out, Muse Watson left the show on perhaps the best terms possible. Gary Glasberg explained that the decision to get rid of Mike Franks was a difficult one. “We love Muse Watson, we love the character, their relationship is very special and unique,” said Glasberg. In other words, the death of the character was simply for the show’s shock value. In fact, Watson’s departure was so amicable that he’s even made appearances in episodes since as an angel and in flashback episodes!

Pancho Demmings as Gerald Jackson

Pancho Demmings’s character Gerald Jackson had a relatively short stint on NCIS for just 15 episodes. Jackson gets kidnapped in the season three premiere, then makes a return in the next episode where he informs his colleagues of what happened to him. But regardless of how interesting that plotline is, the show’s producers decided not to pursue it any further than that two-part premiere. Jackson’s abandoned storyline is one of NCIS fans’ biggest unanswered questions. Here’s what happened…

Why Pancho Demmings Left the Show

Apparently, fans weren’t the only ones confused by Gerald Jackson’s departure from the show; Demmings was as well. He stated that after his short stint in season one, his character was put on hiatus. But despite the abrupt departure, Demmings has been an awfully good sport about the whole thing. “Initially, I think they were looking at extending my storyline,” he told Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “I guess they ended up choosing to go in another direction.” Although the actor expressed his displeasure at having to leave the show, he also understands that sometimes that’s just part of the business. “Sometimes that’s just what happens as a result of different storylines developing on whatever show you’re part of,” he said.

Maria Bello as Jacqueline Sloane

Mario Bello played Dr. Jacqueline “Jack” Sloane, a senior special agent and operational psychologist with a Ph.D. in psychology. The character had previously served in Afghanistan, where she was a prisoner of war. Her time as a POW had serious effects on her mental health in the show but also allowed her to connect with people who had gone through similar events. Halfway through season 18, it was announced that Dr. Sloane would be going back to Afghanistan. Here’s why Bello left the show…

Why Maria Bello Left the Show

Maria Bello actually hasn’t provided much information publicly on why she decided to leave NCIS, but she apparently only signed on for three seasons of the show and never intended to stick around for very long. But while we’re sure NCIS fans are sad about her departure, it all seems to be working out in her favor, as she’s already got new projects up her sleeve – one of which is writing and producing a new movie called The Woman King.