NCIS has said goodbye to plenty of stars over the years, be it that their contract is over, they're ready to pursue other adventures - or sometimes cast members have left under slightly more unpleasant circumstances, including unhappiness with their storylines or fall-outs with other cast members. However, will these stars ever make a comeback? Here's what has been said...
Mark Harmon
Mark left the show in 2019, but according to his co-star Rocky Carroll, he could certainly return one day. In a Q&A with TV Insider, Rocky spoke about the show hitting the 20th-anniversary milestone, explaining: "We might see Gibbs again. I think as long as this show stays on the air, there will always be a little bit of a tease that we might see Gibbs again… Gibbs is the moral compass. He's the moral compass that we all wish we had."
VIDEO: Watch Mark Harmon's last scenes as Leroy Gibbs in NCIS
Pauley Perrette
Sadly, Pauley has definitively stated that she will never be returning to the series as Abby - and has retired from acting. Tweeting about a fallout with Mark Harmon that she had on set, she wrote: "NO I AM NOT COMING BACK! EVER! (Please stop asking?) I am terrified of Harmon and him attacking me. I have nightmares about it. I have a new show that is SAFE AND HAPPY! You'll love it! #HappyPlace Love y’all!" Well, that’s the end of that dream!
Michael Weatherly
Michael previously hinted that he may well return to the NCIS universe alongside his co-star, Cote de Pablo. On New Year's Day, he wrote: "Happy New Year! It's time to look at the time and enjoy the moment!" A fan replied: "We all would rather look at you and Ziva reuniting and enjoying that moment," prompting Michael to respond: "Stay tuned… for this might be an interesting year for such 'moments'!" Interesting!
Cote de Pablo
The show's executive producer Steve Binder said that while there are no current plans for Cote to return to the show, he is always open to it. He told TV Line: "It's always going to be, 'Let's not grab Cote and stick her in.' It's, 'Let's come up with a story first, and see if it's something worthy of bringing that character back,'" he explained. "We've really played, for now, all of the cards there are to play [with Ziva], so we have no plans at the moment," he said, "but we're certainly always open to it."
Emily Wickersham
Emily’s character Eleanor Bishop left the show back in 2021, and while the actress hasn’t spoken about a potential return, fans are certainly hopeful! Taking to Reddit to ask for a cameo, one person wrote: "I honestly think it's pretty likely she'll come back eventually. It's not like she has major issues with the producers or something." We hope so!
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