Recurring CharactersThis is a featured page

Recurring characters on NCIS play important roles on the show. Both the animate and inanimate recurring characters are better developed on NCIS than on other shows. Here are just a few of the people whom we've met over the seasons.

For information on the inanimate characters, see the Props We Covet page.

Many of the bad guys are one-off characters and are over on the Bad Guys page.

Characters we loved (or loved to hate) that we won't forget in a hurry... Former NCIS Characters



Character Portrayed by Episodes
Abigail Borin, CGIS Special Agent
 Diane Neal
 7.18 "Jurisdiction"
8.11 "Ships in the Night"
9.05 "Safe Harbor"
10.04 "Lost at Sea"

Agah Bayar Tamer Hassan 8.07 "Broken Arrow"
8.16 "Kill Screen"
9.17 "Need to Know"

Agent Charles, FBI Agent John Rosenfeld 1.15 "Enigma"
2.05 "The Bone Yard"

Alejandro Rivera, Mexican Justice Department
 Marco Sanchez
 7.21 "Obsession"
7.22 "Borderland"
7.23 "Patriot Down"
7.24 "Rule Fifty-One"
8.01 "Spider and the Fly"

Amit Hadar, Mossad Officer
 Arnold Vosloo
 6.25 "Aliyah"
8.08 "Enemies Foreign"
8.09 "Enemies Domestic"

Anthony DiNozzo, Sr.
 Robert Wagner
 7.12 "Flesh and Blood"
8.07 "Broken Arrow"
9.10 "Sins of the Father"
10.10 "You Better Watch Out"

Ari Haswari, Mossad operative, Hamas undercover
 Rudolf Martin 1.16 "Bête Noire"
1.23 "Reveille"
2.23 "Twilight"
3.01 "Kill Ari (Part 1)"
3.02 "Kill Ari (Part 2)"
9.14 "Life Before His Eyes"

Breena Slater, Jimmy Palmer's fiancée Michelle Pierce 7.16 "Mother's Day"
7.20 "Moonlighting"
9.11 "Newborn King"
9.24 "Till Death Do Us Part"

Cassie Yates, NCIS Special Agent
Tamara Taylor 2.22 "SWAK"
3.22 "Jeopardy"

Charles 'Chip' Sterling, Bad Guy Michael Bellisario 3.06 "The Voyeur's Web"
3.07 "Honour Code"
3.08 "Under Covers"
3.09 "Frame-Up"

Christopher Pacci, NCIS Agent
 Tim Kelleher
 1.16 "Bete Noire"
1.18 "UnSEALed"
1.19 "Dead Man Talking"
8.22 "Baltimore"
9.14 "Life Before His Eyes"

Cynthia Summer, Secretary to the Director Stephanie Mello 3.03 "Mind Games"
3.06 "The Voyeur's Web"
3.10 "Probie"
3.11 "Model Behaviour"
3.16 "Family Secret"
3.18 "Bait"
3.22 "Jeopardy"
3.24 "Hiatus (Part 2)"
4.02 "Escaped"
4.14 "Blowback"
4.15 "Friends & Lovers"
4.23 "Trojan Horse"
4.24 "Angel of Death"

Clayton Jarvis, Secretary of the Navy Matt Craven 8.24 "Pyramid"
9.01 "Nature of the Beast"
9.05 "Safe Harbor"
9.08 "Engaged (Part I)"
9.09 "Engaged (Part II)"
9.12 "Housekeeping"
9.18 "The Tell"
10.01 "Extreme Prejudice"
10.12 "Shiva"

Damon Werth, Former Marine
 Paul Telfer
 5.10 "Corporal Punishment"
7.06 "Outlaws and In-laws"
7.15 "Jack-Knife"

Debra Green, ZNN Reporter Sheila E. Frazier 1.13 "One Shot, One Kill"
1.23 "Reveille"
4.01 "Shalom"
5.18 "Judgement Day"
6.03 "Capitol Offense"

Diane Sterling, Gibbs' ex-wife
 Melinda McGraw
 9.07 "Devil's Triangle"
10.09 "Devil's Trifecta"

E.J. Barrett, NCIS Special Agent Sarah Jane Morris 8.17 "One Last Score"
8.18 "Out of the Frying Pan"
8.20 "Two-Faced"
8.21 "Dead Reflection"
8.23 "Swan Song"
8.24 "Pyramid"
9.01 "Nature of the Beast"
9.12 "Housekeeping"

Eli David, Mossad Director Michael Nouri 6.01 "Last Man Standing"
6.25 "Aliyah"
7.04 "Good Cop, Bad Cop"
8.08 "Enemies Foreign"
8.09 "Enemies Domestic"
10.01 "Extreme Prejudice"
10.11 "Shabbat Shalom"

Faith Coleman, Lt. Cmdr. JAG Alicia Coppola JAG - Pilot - "Meltdown"
1.18 "UnSEALed"
2.07 "Call of Silence"
2.21 "Hometown Hero"

Gerald Jackson, Assistant Medical Examiner
 Pancho Demmings 1.01 "Yankee White"
1.02 "Hung Out to Dry"
1.03 "Seadog"
1.06 "High Seas"
1.07 "Sub Rosa"
1.08 "Minimum Security"
1.09 "Marine Down"
1.10 "Left for Dead"
1.11 "Eye Spy"
1.13 "One Shot, One Kill"
1.14 "The Good Samaritan"
1.15 "Enigma"
1.16 "Bête Noire"
3.01 "Kill Ari (Part 1)"
3.02 "Kill Ari (Part 2)"

Guy Ross, Reporter Kent Shocknek 1.13 "One Shot, One Kill"
3.11 "Model Behavior"
6.06 "Murder 2.0"
7.07 "Endgame"
7.14 "Masquerade"

Hollis Mann, retired Army Lt. Col. Susanna Thompson 4.07 "Sandblast"
4.13 "Sharif Returns"
4.17 "Skeletons"
4.19 "Grace Period"
4.22 "In the Dark"
5.03 "Ex-File"

Holly Snow Dina Meyer 7.13 "Jet Lag"
7.19 "Guilty Pleasure"

Jackie Vance, Leon Vance's wife
 Paula Newsome 6.18 "Knockout"
7.07 "Endgame"
9.19 "The Good Son"
10.11 "Shabbat Shalom"
10.12 "Shiva"

Jackson Gibbs, Jethro Gibbs' father
 Ralph Waite
 6.04 "Heartland"
6.11 "Silent Night"
7.10 "Faith"
7.24 "Rule Fifty-One"
8.01 "Spider and the Fly"
9.14 "Life Before His Eyes"
10.05 "Namesake"

Jeanne Benoit, MD Scottie Thompson 4.07 "Sandblast"
4.08 "Once a Hero"
4.09 "Twisted Sister"
4.10 "Smoked"
4.11 "Driven"
4.12 "Suspicion"
4.13 "Sharif Returns"
4.15 "Friends and Lovers"
4.18 "Iceman"
4.19 "Grace Period"
4.21 "Brothers in Arms"
4.22 "In the Dark"
4.23 "Trojan Horse"
4.24 "Angel of Death"
5.01 "Bury Your Dead"
5.14 "Internal Affairs"

Jordan Hampton, M.E.

 Torri Higginson 5.04 "Identity Crisis"
6.13 "Broken Bird"

Kelly Gibbs
Deceased pre-series ~1992 but returns regularly in flashbacks		 Mary Matilyn Mouser




Brenna Radding


Sam Schuder
 3.07 "Honor Code"
3.23 "Hiatus (Part 1)"
4.02 "Escaped"
4.06 "Witch Hunt"

5.03 "Ex-File"
5.07 "Requiem"

9.14 "Life Before His Eyes"

Leroy Jethro Gibbs [young]
 Sean Harmon
 6.04 "Heartland"
6.15 "Deliverance"
7.16 "Mother's Day"
9.08 "Engaged (Part 1)"
9.09 "Engaged (Part 2)"
9.14 "Life Before His Eyes"

Malachi Ben-Gidon, Mossad Officer
 T.J. Ramini
 7.04 "Good Cop, Bad Cop"
8.08 "Enemies Foreign"
8.09 "Enemies Domestic"

Margaret Allison Hart, Attorney
 Rena Sofer
 7.11 "Ignition"
7.14 "Masquerade"
7.16 "Mother's Day"
7.21 "Obsession"
7.23 "Patriot Down"
7.24 "Rule Fifty-One"

Michael Rivkin, Mossad Officer Merik Tadros 6.01 "Last Man Standing"
6.22 "Legend (Part 1)"
6.23 "Legend (Part 2)"
6.24 "Semper Fidelis"
6.25 "Aliyah"

Michelle Lee, NCIS Special Agent
 Liza Lapira
 4.01 "Shalom"
4.02 "Escaped"
4.05 "Dead and Unburied"
4.08 "Once a Hero"
4.10 "Smoked"
4.15 "Friends and Lovers"
4.16 "Dead Man Walking"
4.24 "Angel of Death"
6.01 "Last Man Standing"
6.07 "Collateral Damage"
6.08 "Cloak"
6.09 "Dagger"

Mike Franks, retired NIS Special Agent Muse Watson 3.23 "Hiatus (Part 1)"
3.24 "Hiatus (Part 2)"
4.01 "Shalom"
4.04 "Faking It"
4.18 "Iceman"
5.18 "Judgement Day"
6.15 "Deliverance"
7.06 "Outlaws and In-laws"
7.24 "Rule Fifty-One"
8.01 "Spider and the Fly"
8.23 "Swan Song"
8.24 "Pyramid"
9.14 "Life Before His Eyes"
10.24 "Damned If You Do"

Mrs. Victoria Mallard, Ducky's mother
 Nina Foch
Deceased December 5th, 2008		 2.13 "The Meat Puzzle"
3.20 "Untouchable"

Mysterious Redhead, Gibbs' love interest
If you want to know who portrayed Gibbs' mysterious redhead, left-click and hold your mouse on the word 'If' then drag the cursor/pointer down to the line below and all will be revealed...
*** Vivian Bellisario ***

 1.01 "Yankee White"
1.03 "Sea Dog"
1.09 "Marine Down"
1.18 "UnSEALed"
2.08 "Heart Break"
3.04 "Silver War"

Ned Dorneget, NCIS Probationary Agent Matt L. Jones 9.10 "Sins of the Father"
9.17 "Need to Know"
9.23 "Up in Smoke"

Nikki Jardine, NCIS Intel Analyst Susan Kelechi Watson 5.05 "Leap of Faith"
5.12 "Stakeout"
5.15 "In the Zone"

Paula Cassidy, NCIS Agent
 Jessica Steen
 1.08 "Minimum Security"
1.16 "Bête Noire"
1.23 "Reveille"
2.08 "Heart Break"
3.03 "Mind Games"
4.19 "Grace Period"

Phillip Davenport, Secretary of the Navy
 Jude Ciccolella
 6.08 "Cloak"
6.09 "Dagger"
6.24 "Semper Fidelis"
8.24 "Pyramid"

Philip McCadden "McC", Homicide Detective Adam Kaufman 7.16 "Mother's Day"
7.19 "Guilty Pleasure"

Rachel Cranston, Psychiatrist (Kate Todd's Sister) Wendy Makkena 8.14 "A Man Walks Into a Bar..."
9.01 "Nature of the Beast"

Ray Cruz, "CI-Ray" Enrique Murciano 8.20 "Two-Faced"
8.24 "Pyramid"
9.13 "A Desperate Man"

Riley McCallister, Former NCIS Agent Michael O'Neill 8.08 "Enemies Foreign"
8.09 "Enemies Domestic"
9.14 "Life Before His Eyes"

Ron Sacks, FBI Special Agent Don Franklin 3.09 "Frame Up"
4.01 "Shalom"
4.10 "Smoked"

Dr. Samantha Ryan Jamie Lee Curtis 9.16 "Psych Out"
9.18 "The Tell"
9.20 "Missionary Position"
9.23 "Up in Smoke"
9.24 "Till Death Do Us Part"

Sarah McGee, Timothy McGee's sister
 Troian Avery Bellisario 2.20 "Red Cell"
4.09 "Twisted Sister"

Shannon Gibbs
Deceased pre-series ~1992 but returns regularly in flashbacks		 Darby Stanchfield






Aviva Farber [young]
 3.23 "Hiatus (Part 1)"
3.24 "Hiatus (Part 2)"
5.07 "Requiem"
7.24 "Rule Fifty-One"
9.08 "Engaged (Part 1)"
9.14 "Life Before His Eyes"

6.04 "Heartland"
7.16 "Mother's Day"

Stan Burley, NCIS Special Agent
Joel Gretsch
1.06 "High Seas"
9.22 "Playing with Fire"
10.19 "Squall"



Thomas Survoy, NCIS Special Agent Morocco Omari 3.12 "Boxed In"
9.04 "Enemy on the Hill"

Tobias Fornell, FBI Senior Special Agent Joe Spano 1.01 "Yankee White"
1.03 "Sea Dog"
1.15 "Enigma"
1.23 "Reveille"
2.05 "The Bone Yard"
2.19 "Conspiracy Theory"
2.23 "Twilight"
3.02 "Kill Ari (Part 2)"
3.08 "Under Covers"
3.09 "Frame Up"
4.02 "Escaped"
4.10 "Smoked"
4.21 "Brothers in Arms"
4.24 "Angel of Death"
5.04 "Identity Crisis"
5.14 "Internal Affairs"
6.05 "Nine Lives"
6.24 "Semper Fidelis"
7.15 "Jack-Knife"
7.20 "Moonlighting"
8.03 "Short Fuse"
8.19 "Tell-All"
9.07 "Devil's Triangle"
9.14 "Life Before His Eyes"
10.01 "Extreme Prejudice"
10.09 "Devil's Trifecta"
10.24 "Damned If You Do"

Tom Morrow, Director NCIS Alan Dale JAG - Pilot - "Ice Queen"
JAG - Pilot - "Meltdown"
1.01 "Yankee White"
1.03 "Sea Dog"
1.09 "Marine Down"
1.15 "Enigma"
1.16 "Bête Noire"
2.23 "Twilight"
3.01 "Kill Ari (Part 1)"
10.20 "Chasing Ghosts"
10.21 "Berlin"
10.22 "Revenge"
10.24 "Damned If You Do"

Trent Kort, CIA agent David Dayan Fisher









 4.10 "Smoked"
4.11 "Driven"
4.14 "Blowback"
4.21 "Brothers in Arms"
4.23 "Trojan Horse"
4.24 "Angel of Death"
5.01 "Bury Your Dead"
5.14 "Internal Affairs"
6.13 "Broken Bird"
6.20 "Dead Reckoning"
8.23 "Swan Song"
8.24 "Pyramid"


Link to Blog entry about Recurring Characters
Link to Blog Entry - Favorite Recurring Characters Revisited
Link to Blog Entry - Least Favorite Recurring Characters


Threads for this page

Started By Thread Subject Replies Last Post
#1hotchfan Which recurring character would you like to see more of and why? (page: 1 2 3 4 5 ... last page) 320 Mar 19 2013, 6:31 PM EDT by nanadoftwo
Thread started: Aug 5 2009, 12:19 AM EDT  Watch
Just curious about what everyone thinks. Mike Franks? Tobias Fornell? Trent Kort? someone else? why would you like to see more of them?
3  out of 4 found this valuable. Do you?    
Keyword tags: recurring characters
Show Last Reply
RCSMILEY Recurrent characters 2 Jan 22 2011, 10:29 PM EST by rsmiley049
Thread started: Jan 10 2011, 9:50 PM EST  Watch
I think Tobias Fornell is a stuffed shirt, and a pain in the a--. Mike Franks, tying up loose ends, always gets others in trouble. As always, though, I would always prefer Ducky; quoting operas and old novelists to prove a point. Ducky is my preferred returning character.
Show Last Reply
Showing 2 of 2 threads for this page

Related Content

  (what's this?Related ContentThanks to keyword tags, links to related pages and threads are added to the bottom of your pages. Up to 15 links are shown, determined by matching tags and by how recently the content was updated; keeping the most current at the top. Share your feedback on Wetpaint Central.)
Hollis Mann Sarah McGee Charles Sterling
Mike Franks Photos 2 Mike Franks Miss Mann
Hollis Man Icon Mike franks Another question about Franks
Mike Franks REAL name Merry Christmas 4.18 Iceman