TheNCISfranchise is a massive institution, so it’s no wonder some actors have played multiple characters within its expansive storyline. It would throw off the narrative in most television shows to have the same person appear as different characters, with many only running for a few years. However,NCIS’ rich tapestry of more than two decades on television allows actors to weave in and out of the narrative as differentNCIScharactersseamlessly. Moreover,the fact thatNCIShas so many spinoffs means some actors can always show up on a different show as a new character.
The franchise has tackled over a thousand cases betweenNCISand its many spinoff shows, meaning there have been thousands of opportunities to play a character attached to a weekly case. The television institution continues to grow, expanding opportunities for its favorite actors to return without compromising the integrity of its complex web of narratives.Even fan-favorite characters like Timothy McGee and Mike Franks once had their actors play different roleswithin thesharedNCISuniverse, adding another layer of complexity to their established presence.
10Sean Murray
JAG, NCIS
The most prominent figure playing multiple characters in the sharedNCISuniverse is Sean Murray, who plays Special Agent Timothy McGee in theNCISseason 22 cast. Before his stint onNCIS,which started in season 1,Murray appeared inJAG.The 1990s legal procedural is the predecessor toNCIS,which hosted its backdoor pilot.
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Murray plays two different characters inJAG.In season 4, episode 3, “Innocence,” Murray appears as Ensign Terry Guitry. The actor returns for a more substantial stint inJAGseason 6, playing Danny Walden in five episodes throughout, with his stint ending in 2001. Murray would appear as a rookie agent onNCISjust a few years later, in 2003.
9Tom Schanley
JAG, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS: Hawai’i
Tom Schanley holds a distinguished place in the NCIS franchise.Schanley has appeared in five shows across theNCISuniverse, includingNCIS,NCIS: New Orleans,NCIS: Los Angeles,andJAG.After featuring inJAGin 1999, Schanley first appears inNCISseason 9, episode 10, “Sins of the Father.” After that, Schanley appeared once on each location-based spinoff series aside fromNCIS: SydneyandNCIS: Origins.
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After appearing as “Crazy Sam” inNCIS: Hawai’iseason 1, episode 4, “Paniolo,” Schanley returned to the flagship inNCISseason 22. In episode 5, Schanley plays CIA Officer Conrad, a dirty CIA agent who worked with NCIS on their Thomas Butler. The agent tells NCIS that Butler is a Russian spy when he actually retired from a career as a double agent working for the Americans.
8Diany Rodriguez
NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS: Origins
After a brief feature inNCIS: New Orleansas DHS Agent Garcia in season 4, episode 1, “Rogue Nation,” Diany Rodriguez was destined for a much more significant role in the police procedural universe. Rodriguez only has a few seconds on the screen beside Special Agent-in-Charge Dwayne Cassius Pride (Scott Bakula) in theNCIS: New Orleanscastas she takes command and exits. However,Rodriguez has a prominent role inNCIS: Origins.
Roma Maffia appeared as Vera Strickland inNCISseason 11, episode 13, “Under the Radar.”
Rodriguez plays Special Agent Vera Strickland in theNCIS: Originsprequel story. Strickland received a brief introduction in the original series inNCISseason 11, and Rodriguez is reviving the character for the Leroy Jethro Gibbs prequel series. After just a momentary feature in the Bayou-based spinoff, it’s excellent that Rodriguez got more screen time, as she’s perfect as Mike Franks’ former partner.
7Patrick Fischler
NCIS: Hawai’i, NCIS: Origins
TheNCIS: Originscastfeatures another familiar face in Patrick Fischler, who plays Special Agent Cliff Wheeler.Fischler appears in theNCISuniverse inNCIS: Hawai’ialongside Vanessa Lachey’s Jane Tennant. Before Fischler was someone in the Gibbs prequel, he was Glenn Smith inNCIS: Hawai’iseason 1, episode 14, “Broken.”
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Glenn Smith, the CIA office’s Inspector General, seeks out Tennant to gather details about Maggie Shaw and her connection to Jane’s family. Before he was onNCIS: Hawai’i,Fischler also appeared inHawaii Five-0as Ryan Webb and onNCIS.Fischler played George Stenner inNCISseason 5, episode 15, “Into the Zone.”
6Michael Nouri
NCIS, NCIS: New Orleans, Hawaii Five-0
Michael Nouri had a significant supporting role in the originalNCISseries, appearing as Ziva David’s father, Eli David, from seasons 6 to 10. Eli David was also the father ofNCISantagonist Ari Haswai, who he trained as an agent for Mossad but betrayed his father and country.Nouri’s final appearance is inNCISseason 10, episode 11, “Shabbat Shalom,” when he dies in a shootout during dinner with Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll), whose wife, Jackie Vance (Paula Newsome), dies from injuries sustained in the attack.
Nouri also appears inHawaii Five-0,which shares theNCISuniverse.
After his robustNCISrole,Nouri later appears inNCIS: New Orleansseason 6, episode 9, “Convicted.” However, Nouri has an unstated role as a man named Jason Campbell. Nouri also appears inHawaii Five-0,which shares theNCISuniverse. He plays Oscar Hirsch inHawaii Five-0season 10, episode 20, “He puhe’e miki.”
5Liza Lapira
NCIS, NCIS: New Orleans
Liza Lapira has a sizable role inNCISas Special Agent Michelle Lee, a lawyer who temporarily joins Gibbs' team in seasons 4 and 6. InNCISseason 4, Lee is involved in a few cases at the beginning of the installment during a brief takeout over the team by Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) during Gibbs' temporary retirement. She also has a brief fling with Dr. James Palmer (Brian Dietzen).
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InNCISseason 6, the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) discovers Agent Lee is a mole tasked with obtaining sensitive military plans. Ultimately, Lapira exits the series when her character sacrifices herself in a tense situation with Gibbs (Mark Harmon).Lapira returns toNCISin its Southeastern-set spinoff, Araminta Jax inNCIS: New Orleansseason 5, episode 15, “Crab Mentality” in 2019.
4John Getz
NCIS
John Getz has multiple characters inNCIS,featuring on the series as recently as season 22. He first appears in season 7, episode 14, “Masquerade.” In season 7,Getz plays Walter Kane, a Pentagon employeeand the owner of a private investigation company. Getz returns inNCISseason 22, with the series repeating his Pentagon connection.
InNCISseason 22, episode 5, “In From the Cold,“Getz plays Thomas Butler, a retired double agent who gave the United States crucial intel from the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Getz plays the character beautifully, leaving the audience questioning whether he is having issues with his memory or is still working undercover. Getz guest stars alongside Tom Schanley, who also has multiple appearances inNCIS.
3Scottie Thompson
NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles
A substantial love interest to Anthony DiNozzo,Scottie Thompson plays two characters in theNCISuniverse. She has a considerable role as Jeanne Benoit inNCISand a guest appearance inNCIS: Los Angeles.Thompson appears in 18NCISepisodesas Jeanne. Her character is the daughter of an arms dealer, La Grenoille (Armand Assante).
After her final appearance inNCISseason 13, episode 16, “Loose Cannons,” leading up toMichael Weatherly’sNCISexit,Thompson returns inNCIS: Los Angeles.She plays Sarah Raines inNCIS: Los Angelesseason 11, episode 18, “Missing Time.” It was great to see Thompson in theNCISuniverse again, but the appearance didn’t rival her memorable role as René Benoit’s daughter.
2Joe Spano
Joe Spano has a substantial role in theNCISfranchise, making him the most featured guest character. Spano plays fan-favoriteNCIScharacter Tobias Fornell, who appears in the first episode of theNCISfranchise, theNCISpilot episode, “Yankee White.” Spano is an FBI agent and adversary to Gibbs and his team in “Yankee White,” resenting how Gibbs' team outsmarts him at multiple turns.
However, Spano’s character grew into Gibbs' friend and ally, one of the only people in theNCISfranchise Gibbs sees as a friend. Gibbs and Fornell even have an ex-wife in command, Melinda McGraw’s Diane Sterling, which ties them outside their work. Spano even has a guest appearance as Fornell inNCIS: New Orleansseason 1, episode 5, “It Happened Last Night.”
You can catch up onNCISon Paramount+.
However,Spano’s first character in the sharedNCISuniverse years earlier was Navy Captain Jack Murphy, a guest role inJAGseason 3, episode 22, “Clipped Wings.” Spano’s only Navy connection to the series is his appearance as a Navy Captain inJAGsince he plays an FBI agent. InNCISseason 22, the series gave Spano’s character a proper retirement by having Parker (Gary Cole) and Wayne Sweeney (Erik Passoja) reconcile, withNCISeffectively writing out its last original cast member.
1Muse Watson
Before he played Special Agent Michael Franks inNCIS,Muse Watson featured inJAGseason 4, episode 3, “Innocence,” as Admiral Arthur Fessenden. Watson is known for his Mike Franks character, first introduced inNCISseason 3, episode 23, “Hiatus Part I.” Watson’s introduction as the former partner and mentor of Leroy Jethro Gibbs made it one of thebest episodes ofNCIS.
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Watson has an iconic run of appearances onNCISand is one of the series' most frequently featured guest actors. After Frank’s death, Watson appears as a ghost with whom Gibbs interacts when he needs advice. TheNCIS: Originsprequel story has revived the Mike Franks character, with Kyle Schmid taking over as a young Mike Franks.
TheNCISfranchise is an American media franchise that focuses on military-related criminal investigations by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It began withNCISin 2003, a spin-off fromJAG, and has since expanded to include multiple spin-offs set across different locations.
