The Cast of 'Ncis': Where Are They Now?
Ncis Is Still in Action. Since the Longtime Cbs Drama Premiered in 2003, the Series Has Undergone Numerous Plotlines That Have Continued to Develop over the...
NCIS is still in action.
Since the longtime CBS drama premiered in 2003, the series has undergone numerous plotlines that have continued to develop over the years. With that, the NCIS cast has rotated from its original members — including Mark Harmon, Pauley Perrette, Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo — to a newer class of special agents who are taking the lead in cases and forming strong bonds amongst themselves.
In season 21, Sean Murray and Gary Cole’s characters will keep working on their partnership, while actors Brian Dietzen and Katrina Law’s roles will intertwine further, thanks to their on-screen chemistry. Meanwhile, Wilmer Valderrama’s character will deal with past tensions and Diona Reasonover’s role grapples with the loss of late actor David McCallum and his character, Ducky.
The monumental installment also makes NCIS the third longest-running primetime drama ever, per The Hollywood Reporter. As new episodes begin airing in 2024, there’s a lot to reflect on, like what former cast members have been up to since leaving the CBS show.
Whether they have taken a step back from acting, starred in new titles or pursued personal ambitions, here is what the cast of NCIS has been up to following their departures.
Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Mark Harmon was born in Burbank, California and played Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs for nearly two decades. The character was first introduced on the legal drama JAG in 2003 before NCIS premiered later that same year.
Prior to NCIS, the actor appeared in other TV procedurals, like Reasonable Doubts, Charlie Grace and The West Wing. Harmon also starred alongside Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis in Freaky Friday (2003). His other film credits include Chasing Liberty (2004) and Weather Girl (2009).
After leading NCIS for 18 seasons, Harmon exited the series in 2021. Gibbs was written off the series: After solving a case in Alaska, the special agent decided to stay there rather than return to Washington, D.C.
The actor later opened up about playing Gibbs and his departure from NCIS.
"What has always drawn me here is the character I play and to keep that fresh and to keep it challenging," Harmon said in a special featurette on the season 19 DVD release, per Entertainment Tonight. "Plot-wise, this character has taken the path that it did.”
He also shared that though Gibbs was no longer appearing on the show, he was "not retired," adding, "The character is living in Alaska as far as I know."
In a statement to PEOPLE, executive producer Steve Binder said fans may see Gibbs on-screen again. “Our North Star has always been staying true to our characters, and that truth has always guided the stories we tell and where those characters go,” he said. “So regarding the future of Gibbs, as longtime fans of the show may have noticed over the years ... never count Leroy Jethro Gibbs out."
As for his personal life, Harmon has been married to his wife actress Pam Dawber since 1987, and they share two sons.
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Pauley Perrette as Abby Sciuto
Born in New Orleans, Pauley Perrette is best known for playing quirky forensic scientist Abby Sciuto on NCIS for 15 seasons after being introduced on JAG in 2003.
Her credits before NCIS include The Drew Carey Show, Dawson’s Creek and Almost Famous.
Ahead of her last season finale in 2018, Perrette spoke about her character's impact on young female viewers. During an appearance on The Talk, the actress touched on how her character "made math and science ... a viable plan" that was "accessible" and "fun."
“It’s been so heartwarming, and it’s been such a real thing," she added. "These are real people, who now 16 years later have gotten their degrees in science and math all because of Abby.”
Perrette departed the series in May 2018 after 15 seasons. She alleged in a series of posts on X (formerly known as Twitter) that she endured “multiple physical assaults” on set and that the “publicity ‘machine’ ” had kept her silent.
In a statement obtained by PEOPLE in May 2018, CBS Television Studios confirmed that the actress came forward with a “workplace concern” more than a year prior and that it “took the matter seriously.”
The following year, Perrette announced that “after a few devastatingly difficult years,” she was returning to television in a new CBS sitcom, Broke. The series aired in 2020 but got canceled after one season, and a few weeks later, she revealed on X that she was retiring from acting.
In 2022, Perrette told PEOPLE that a year prior, at age 53, she had suffered a massive stroke, but she was now “super healthy.”
Perrette was married to musician Francis “Coyote” Shivers from 2000 to 2006. She became engaged to cameraman Michael Bosman around 2008, but they broke up before getting married.
Marcus Vance is a cybersecurity auditor and technology writer dedicated to educating the public about online safety, data privacy regulations, enterprise security, and emerging cyber threats.
