NCIS is more than just a cop show: With over 450 episodes, it remains one of the longest-running primetime series of all time and a staple of CBS’s programming schedule. Starting as a spin-off of JAG, NCIS has spawned spin-offs like NCIS: Los Angeles, New Orleans, Hawai’i, and most recently, NCIS: Sydney, which will premiere in Australia and on Paramount+ starting in 2024. The mix of military drama and police investigation continues to appeal to viewers thanks to its stellar cast. Here’s what the original stars of the hit show have been up to since NCIS debuted in 2003.
1. Mark Harmon (Leroy Jethro Gibbs)
Mark Harmon has been with NCIS for 18 main seasons and a few episodes of season 19 as special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a former U.S. Marine Corps sniper. Although he has left the main role, executive producer Steven D. Binder revealed in 2021 that Gibbs shouldn’t be “counted out” for future episodes. Harmon also appeared in a few episodes of NCIS: New Orleans.
2. Pauly Perrette (Abby Sciuto)
Perrette left NCIS in 2018 after 15 seasons as iconic forensic scientist Abby Sciuto. She has also appeared in spin-offs NCIS: Los Angeles and New Orleans. Perrette then joined the CBS series Broke in 2020. In 2022, she shared that she had overcome a serious stroke that occurred the year before.
3. Sasha Alexander (Caitlin Todd)
After leaving NCIS at the end of season 3, Sasha Alexander made her mark as forensic pathologist Maura Isles on the series Rizzoli & Isles (2010-2016), a role that earned her a People’s Choice Award. She has also appeared in many popular series such as Shameless, Law & Order: SVU and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
4. David McCallum (Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard)
McCallum has continued to play medical examiner Ducky since the series began. Following the departure of Mark Harmon, he is the only remaining member of the original NCIS cast as of 2025.
5. Michael Weatherly (Anthony DiNozzo)
Weatherly played Senior Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo for 13 seasons. After leaving NCIS in 2016, he starred in the CBS series Bull. However, following sexual harassment allegations from former co-star Eliza Dushku in 2018, the show was canceled in 2022.
6. Sean Murray (Timothy McGee)
Murray began as a guest star as computer expert Timothy McGee in the first season and became a regular cast member in the second season, remaining a key member of the cast to this day. He also appeared in a 2017 episode of NCIS: New Orleans.
7. Joe Spano (Tobias Fornell)
Joe Spano has played FBI agent and Gibbs’ longtime best friend, Tobias Fornell, since the first episode. He has also appeared in other series such as The Closer, The Mentalist, and NCIS: New Orleans.
8. Pancho Demmings (Gerald Jackson)
Demmings’s role as assistant medical examiner Gerald Jackson has been in some tough situations, including being shot and kidnapped, in the early seasons. Although the character has not appeared in recent seasons, Demmings has been active in series such as 24, CSI: NY, Bones, and Tyler and Borelli.
