Highlights
- Jennifer Aniston was considered for a major role in NCIS, but couldn't commit due to her work on Friends.
- Sasha Alexander was cast as Caitlin Todd after another actress didn't work out, but eventually left the show due to the demanding schedule.
- After leaving NCIS, Sasha Alexander continued acting in popular shows and movies, including Rizzoli & Isles and Shameless.
NCIS is one of the most popular crime series of all time, and, as of right now, it is the third-longest-running scripted, prime-time TV series currently on the air. After all, this show has been airing uninterrupted since its initial release in 2003, with 20 seasons and more than 450 episodes. Although NCIS started as a spin-off, the success of this military police procedural television series sprouted a franchise of other similar TV series.
Over the years, many popular actors have made unforgettable guest appearances on NCIS, including Jamie Lee Curtis and Bob Newhart. But did you know that an even bigger actress was considered to play a key role in the first season of the show? As it turns out, Jennifer Aniston could have joined the cast of NCIS, but negotiations fell through.
Jennifer Aniston Was Considered To Play An Important Role In NCIS
NCIS debuted in 2003, only a year before Friends came to an end. Believe it or not, Friends alum Jennifer Aniston was considered for a major role in this CBS police procedural television series.
In the oral history of NCIS from The Hollywood Reporter, the show’s creators, casting directors, and producer came together to share secrets about this hit series, including that Aniston showed interest in being a part of the show early on. The Friends star took a look at the script and wanted to play Special Agent Caitlin Todd. However, she was working on the last season of Friends at the time and she simply didn’t have time to be a regular on another series.
“I think Jennifer Aniston was available at the time, and her name was floated,” Charles Floyd Johnson, an executive producer for the series, admitted. However, NCIS casting director Susan Bluestein recalls something different. “I don’t remember ever offering it to Jennifer Aniston,” she explained, noting that the actress “could very well have been a name that we discussed.”
Aniston wasn’t the only A-lister considered for a key role on NCIS. As it turns out, producers also considered hiring a former Star Wars star to play the lead on the show. “I know Harrison Ford was a name that everybody thought about for [Leroy Jethro] Gibbs because he was so perfect,” Johnson revealed. “But I don’t think it ever got further than, it was a name thrown out.”
This Actress Beat Jennifer Aniston To The Role Of Caitlin Todd In NCIS
After Jennifer Aniston couldn’t take the role of Caitlin Todd in NCIS due to work commitments, Sasha Alexander was cast in this role instead. However, this actress wasn’t the first choice for the role.
Alexander didn’t appear in NCIS’ two-episode pilot. Instead, Robyn Lively, who is Blake Lively’s older half-sister, portrayed Agent Vivian Blackadder.
“They liked her, but they didn’t think she quite worked,” the series executive producer, Charles Floyd Johnson, admitted. “And so when the series got picked up, CBS said, ‘We’d rather move on.’ And then we went in search of a character, and Sasha came in at the last minute. I loved Robyn Lively, but those things do happen.” Ultimately, Lively’s character was replaced by Caitlin Todd.
Ultimately, Sasha Alexander played Caitlin Todd in 50 episodes of NCIS. However, her character was killed at the end of season 2. The reason for this was that the actress decided to leave the show, due to its demanding work schedule.
"People don't realize that on a network show, you make 24 episodes a year — that's 10½ months a year, 17 hours a day. It's hardcore," Alexander revealed in an interview for TV Guide, in which she also admitted she was not happy with the way producers handled her exit.
"Plus, people really loved the character, and the way they did it was really shocking...it was a bullet to the head, you know?"
What Happened To Sasha Alexander After Leaving NCIS?
Sasha Alexander was the first actor to quit NCIS, although she came back on a couple of occasions to reprise the role of Caitlin Todd. While her net worth could have grown exponentially if she had decided to stay on NCIS for longer, it seems that Alexander made the right choice at the time. After departing from this popular procedural drama series, Alexander continued acting.
This actress has appeared in several popular shows and movies over the years. Some of her biggest projects include Lucky 13, Yes Man, a small role in Friends, The Ride, He’s Just Not That Into You, Mission: Impossible III, and a role in FBI, a series that is pretty similar to NCIS.
However, her two most noteworthy roles as her portrayal of Maura Isles in the series Rizzoli & Isles and her role as Helene Runyon in the SAG Award-winning series Shameless.
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