For NCIS: Sydney’s first two seasons, Bluebird Gleeson’s life outside of her work as a forensic scientist was largely a mystery. Then came the arrival of a mysterious woman waiting in her apartment in the Season 2 finale, and by Season 3’s second episode, we finally learned about Blue’s family and where she came from. However, Mavournee Hazel, who plays Blue, told CinemaBlend that she’s known the details of her character’s past for quite a long time.
Mavournee Hazel Has Known About Blue’s Past Since The Beginning
I started off my recent interview with Hazel by asking how she reacted when she learned about Blue backstory for the first time. To my surprise, she explained how she was privy to this information immediately upon being cast on NCIS: Sydney, sharing:
So, I had to be so patient because I actually knew her backstory from the minute that I was cast. I was fortunate enough to receive her backstory in my audition, so I knew that she had this incredible tapestry of a life. And I couldn't say anything, I couldn't tell anyone, but I'm really grateful that I had that information because I was able to plant these little Easter eggs and it informed my relationships with Mackey and with Doc and how I reacted in certain situations. But learning specifically the details was super, super exciting.
You can stream the NCIS: Sydney episode “True Blue” with your Paramount+ subscription to learn the full details of Blue’s past, but basically, it was revealed that her real name was Faith and that she grew up on a commune with her twin brother. Years after their father died under mysterious circumstances, Faith ventured off the commune and ended up in juvie. When she got out, she forged the Blue identity for herself, which included documents claiming she was formally educated in forensic science. Mavuronee Hazel continued:
I was craving a big Blue episode because, one, I wanted to tell everyone who she was and why she was the way that she is. We had so many people asking the question, and I was like, ‘We’ve gotta tell them.’ But in classic procedural style, it needed to be glacial. We needed to be patient and I hope it was worth the wait.
Two years is a long time to keep a secret, but Mavournee Hazel understood the assignment and kept mum that entire time. And like she mentioned, knowing this information was helpful in informing her performance during those first two seasons, even though the audience wasn’t aware of this. However, just because this particular mystery has been solved doesn’t mean there aren’t other corners of Blue’s pre-NCIS: Sydney life to explore.
The Chapter Of Blue’s Past Mavournee Hazel Would Like To Explore Next
By the end of “True Blue,” Blue was free from the commune once more, got her brother to a hospital before he died from the poison he ingested, and met her grandmother for the first time. So now we have a much better grasp on Mavournee Hazel’s character, but the actress thinks NCIS: Sydney could go even further. She said this when I asked if there were any other gaps in Blue’s life she wants to delve into:
Definitely her prison time, I feel like that's something that we all kind of forget. She was in juvie, guys, and I feel like the her tattoos are the only harbinger of her past in juvie. She definitely would have had really important relationships in that space and during that time. I would love to explore that and maybe bring someone in from her past or maybe someone pops up on like a fingerprint, and it's someone that Blue knows.
Blue was imprisoned after she assaulted a security guard while trying to steal a bone density scanner to analyze the bones of multiple human beings she discovered on the commune. She was in prison for a handful of years, so it would certainly make sense that she made connections during that time. Those could be revealed now that the other NCIS: Sydney characters know that Blue’s an ex-felon, so Mavournee Hazel is hopeful that the show returns to this at some point:
Something like that could be really fun to play with because I think it's also a slippery slope in procedurals. Obviously we're an ensemble, there's so much history, there's so much information, we tend to play a card and almost forget about, like, ‘Oh, whatever happened with that?’ So I would love to remind the audience about her past. Like juvie, that's a really good idea, and I'd love to explain her tats.
Between those connections and JD seemingly doing shady to ensure that Blue could continue working at NCIS, it’s probably safe to say we’re not done touching on her ex-felon status. For now though, what is guaranteed is that NCIS: Sydney Season 3 will resume airing on the 2026 TV schedule starting Tuesday, March 3.
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