NCIS: Hawai'i star Vanessa Lachey has taken to Instagram to pay a heartfelt tribute to one of her colleagues on the show.
In a post marking Black History Month, the Jane Tennant actress shared her "immense respect" for director LeVar Burton, who has been behind the camera on two episodes of the police procedural drama.
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Sharing a snap showing the two of them on set, Vanessa wrote in the caption: "I have immense respect for Mr LeVar Burton and what he has done to further representation in television. From his groundbreaking beginnings until today, he has continued to raise the bar by diversifying his craft and doing it all while never compromising!"
Vanessa, who is currently filming new episodes in Hawai'i, continued: "He has risen to every occasion while earning the respect of his many colleagues along the way. I’ve had the pleasure of working with him on multiple episodes of NCIS: Hawai'i (this one is super special!) and to say he has shown and taught me a lot is an understatement."
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She added: "I can go on and on, but what I will say is… always open your eyes and hearts. Take in all the incredible, amazing people around you and recognize how beautiful diversity is, both in life and in entertainment. And always… ALWAYS look up to find the rainbows! #BlackHistoryMonth."
Vanessa paid tribute to one of her colleagues on Instagram,
The post comes just as Vanessa's co-star Yasmine Al-Bustami returned to the show as Lucy Tara. The actress temporarily departed from the program earlier in season two when her character accepted a new job as a Special Agent Afloat.
Viewers got a glimpse into Lucy's life aboard an aircraft carrier in Monday's episode, which saw the agent assigned to her first major case.
© CBSVanessa plays Jane Tennant in the spin-off series
While fans were over the moon to see Lucy back on their screens, they couldn't help but wonder when she'll be reunited with her girlfriend Kate Whistler in Hawai'i.
"We may not have gotten the #Kacy reunion we are yearning for yet, but it was nice to see Ernie and Lucy talking and being the dynamic duo they are. Can Lucy return home now please?!" wrote one fan on Twitter.
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