What These Once-Beloved NCIS Stars Are Doing Since Exiting The Show

With over 20 seasons aired, "NCIS" has seen many cast members pass through over the years, and that's not to mention the array of guest stars. With such a long-running show, it shouldn't be a surprise to TV fans that "NCIS" has said goodbye to quite a few major cast members over time, only to introduce just as interesting actors to replace them, many of whom have gone on to become fan favorites.

A lot of fans undoubtedly wonder what happened to "NCIS" actors after they moved on from the popular CBS crime drama. Did Mark Harmon, who played Leroy Jethro Gibbs, take a break from acting, or did he explore a new project? What about Pauley Perrette, who brought the quirky and enigmatic forensic scientist Abby Sciuto to life? Where is she right now? 

Well, everyone who has left the show along the way has had plenty of exciting life updates since they bid farewell to "NCIS." Spoiler alert: some of them have even returned to the world of "NCIS" in some form or another years after they first left.

Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs was arguably the center of "NCIS" from the start of the show to the actor's departure in Season 19. Fans were stunned when it was announced that Harmon was leaving the show, with the actor later telling ET that it felt like the right path for Gibbs, saying, "Plot-wise, this character has taken the path that it did. I thought it was honest and OK with." While Gibbs moved to Alaska to retire, the real-life actor didn't stray too far from the franchise that was a part of his life for so long.

Harmon has remained on as an executive producer at "NCIS," while he started exploring nonfiction writing with retired NCIS Special Agent Leon Carroll Jr. Carroll has served as a technical advisor for both "NCIS" and "NCIS: Origins." In 2023, Harmon and Carroll co-authored the book "Ghosts of Honolulu," which recounts the true story of an NCIS agent who went head to head with a Japanese spy in the lead-up to the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. They followed it up with "Ghosts of Panama" in 2024 and "Ghosts of Sicily" in 2026.

Meanwhile, Harmon has also made a grand return to the world of "NCIS" through the spinoff show, "NCIS: Origins." The actor is an executive producer, narrates the show as the older Gibbs, and has made some actual appearances in a few episodes. The show premiered in 2024 and is still going strong, so "NCIS" fans can expect to see more of Harmon in the spinoff in the future. He also reprised his character in "Freaky Friday" in the 2025 sequel, which was fun for fans of the actor and cult film.

Cote de Pablo's departure from "NCIS" is one of the more mysterious of the bunch. She joined the show in Season 3 and quickly became a fan favorite, and her character Ziva David's relationship with Michael Weatherly's Tony DiNozzo is particularly loved by fans. So when she announced that she would be leaving at the start of Season 11, it was a big surprise. 

She told TV Guide (via CBS) of the decision, "Leaving 'NCIS' was not planned, so there is no plan," and added, "As far as my decision to leave, that's a personal thing, and I'd rather leave it at that." But she made sure her goodbye didn't feel too abrupt for fans before moving on to other things in her career. De Pablo left "NCIS" in 2013, and she didn't return to acting until 2015, when she starred in "The Dovekeepers" and "The 33." She also starred in the movie "Seneca" in 2019, but just like Harmon, it wasn't long before she came back to the world of "NCIS." 

Ziva officially returned for a short multi-episode arc in Season 17. It's a very exciting moment in the show, as it confirms that Ziva isn't dead. Then, in 2025, de Pablo and Weatherly starred in the spinoff series, "NCIS: Tony & Ziva," which focuses on the couple and their daughter as they try to stay safe and solve an unexpected case. Unfortunately, the show was canceled after Season 1, and it's unclear if de Pablo has any plans to continue playing Ziva on any other "NCIS" show. 

Michael Weatherly starred in "NCIS" as Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo for 13 seasons before he decided to step away from the show. Leaving in 2016, he quickly nabbed another major job starring in the show "Bull." As for why he decided to leave "NCIS," he mentioned fatigue, telling the press at an event via The Hollywood Reporter, "It came about at the right time. I was burnt out by NCIS and I was ready for a new challenge. Sometimes change is as good as a rest."

It's safe to say that "Bull" was a huge success, running for six seasons before Weatherly decided he wanted to move on to other things in 2022. With this move, the show decided to purposely wrap up everything at the end of Season 6 rather than try to shift the story to focus on other characters. His career was quiet before "NCIS: Tony & Ziva" got ordered to series in 2024, but he was likely busy with his wife, Dr. Bojana Weatherly, and their two kids, Olivia and Liam. He even shared a peek at their holiday activities at the end of 2023. 

Like Cote De Pablo, Weatherly starred in the spinoff focused on their characters in 2025. Both of the stars shared a statement after news of the cancelation, saying (via EW), "We want to thank the fans around the world who joined us on this adventure and finally got to see Tony and Ziva find their happily ever after." Afterwards, it was announced that Weatherly would return to his original series, "NCIS," for a season-long arc, although he could potentially stay on longer. 

Unfortunately, Pauley Perrette, who played another major fan favorite, forensic scientist Abby Sciuto, didn't exactly leave "NCIS" on a great note. Her departure reportedly happened due to feeling unsafe on the set around co-star Mark Harmon and his dog. Executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson recounted what happened to The Hollywood Reporter in 2023, saying, "There was an incident with the show with a dog. The dog was Harmon's, and apparently the dog bit someone... The dog kept coming with Harmon, and [Perrette] felt it wasn't safe for the show. By the end of that year, she just felt like it wasn't working for her anymore, and it was time to move on." 

TMZ reported in 2016 that a crew member allegedly suffered a serious injury from Harmon's dog, claiming that it required 16 stitches. In 2018, Perrette shared her side of the situation, hinting at the drama behind the scenes as she said on X, "I've been supporting anti-bullying programs forever. But now I KNOW because it was ME! If it's school or work, that you're required to go to? It's horrifying. I left. Multiple Physical Assaults. I REALLY get it now. Stay safe." 

After leaving "NCIS," Perrette starred in the 2020 sitcom "Broke," but it got canceled after one season. She then retired from acting, telling Hello! in 2024 of the decision, "I want to be me all the time, and it takes a good amount of courage for me to say that to myself but it's authentically how I feel." Since then, she has moved behind the camera to work on documentaries as an executive producer, like 2023's "Studio One Forever."