NCIS has been through a lot over the course of its 23-season run, and this includes numerous cast changes. Perhaps the biggest casting change came when Mark Harmon exited at the beginning of Season 19, with his departure thought to be the “death knell” of NCIS (at least at the time). Seasons later, Sean Murray has recalled learning about his co-star's decision to leave... and the phone call that made him feel better about it.
Murray has been on NCIS as Special Agent Timothy McGee since the very first season. So, both he and Brian Dietzen, who has been playing Jimmy Palmer since Season 1, have been on hand to witness all the casting changes. While speaking with Dietzen and Diona Reasonover on the Partners & Probies podcast, Murray reflected on the switch-ups, noting change is always hard.
Harmon's exit is one of the biggest changes the show has ever been through, but the McGee actor explained the phone call that made it easier to deal with:
We've been so fortunate with the different iterations of cast that we've had come through, too. I mean, I remember when Mark was kind of getting ready to go, you know, for Gibbs to appear less and less. And I remember some of the discussions about Gary Cole joining the show. And I remember getting the phone call about, ‘OK, so Gary’s the guy,’ and I remember feeling like, ‘Yeah, thank God. Thank God.' Because we have real stuff to work like in a big way there.
Considering how important a character Gibbs was and how important Harmon was to NCIS, it was probably hard to imagine anyone else coming in as the team’s leader. However, Gary Cole’s Alden Parker has been doing a pretty great job, and Murray seems to have been pretty happy to get that call about his new on-screen boss.
The team has definitely changed up more than a few times, and every time someone new joins, they fit right in. Of course, it’s never easy saying goodbye to a character and seeing someone new come in. However, in Cole’s case, there was no one better to step in after Harmon left. Plus, cycling through team members over the years probably helped Murray come to terms with Harmon’s departure. Knowing Cole would be coming on made it even better.
Unfortunately, the casting changes are continuing. Season 23 of NCIS killed off Rocky Carroll’s Director Leon Vance after 18 seasons, and the season finale might have killed off another beloved character. NCIS is never predictable, and even after all these years, the shakeups are still happening. While it keeps the show fresh, it’s also keeping fans and the cast on their toes.
Meanwhile, Harmon has returned to the NCIS franchise since then. He currently serves as executive producer and narrator on prequel series NCIS: Origins, which follows a young Gibbs. He’s appeared on the show a couple of times, most recently with the NCIS crossover last year. It’s unknown whether he’ll ever return to the Mothership, even if it’s brief, but at least the team is in good hands.
If anything, fans can always watch their favorite Gibbs episodes with a Paramount+ subscription. NCIS Season 24 will premiere this fall on CBS.
