Even if you're not that into crime investigation series, there's no way you're not familiar with NCIS. The show has been one of the top TV series for about 15 years since it first aired in 2003. Since then, many actors have come and gone, while others remain the show's most prominent stars. From romance and suspense to unfortunate deaths and freaky accidents, NCIS's got it all, and that's probably why it's popularity has never decreased, despite now being in its 16th season! Let's take a look at some of the most famous actors to have joined this iconic series' cast.

Daniela Ruah as Kensi Blye

Daniela Ruah is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful actresses in NCIS, and she has been an NCIS: Los Angeles regular since 2009, having appeared in a whopping 227 episodes. Portraying Kensi Blye for the first time in season 1, Ruah has become one of the series' biggest stars. Blye's original partner was Dominic Vail, who was later murdered. Blye is now partners with Marty Deeks, with whom they are also engaged. Ruah has also worked as a model, while she also served as one of the hosts for the Eurovision Song Contest 2018, which took place in Portugal, from where her family is.

Maria Bello as Jackie Sloane

Maria Bello is considered to be among the newest additions to the NCIS cast, as she first appeared on the show on the 15th season's fourth episode, titled The Skeleton Crew. People didn't originally know if she would become a regular, but since then, she has established herself as one of the series' leading stars. Bello portrays forensic psychologist Jackie Sloane, with her talent for profiling everyone with ease having overwhelmed the show's fans. Prior to being an NCIS star, Bello had been in the spotlight for coming out as a woman who's attracted both to men and women around 2013.

Lauren Holly as Jenny Shepard

Lauren Holly truly gained a huge fan base by portraying former NCIS team director. Having served in the military as well as in numerous federal departments, she first appeared on the series in 2005, on an episode called Kill Ari Part 1. Apart from her strict persona, Shepard was also known for her brief romance with Gibbs, which became the show's fans' favorite gossip. Always in formal clothing and hairstyles, Shepard waved the show goodbye in 2008, when a hitman fatally wounded her. Since then, Holly has appeared in several films and TV shows, and we last spotted her on the 2018 TV series Good Witch. 

Jennifer Esposito as Alexandra Quinn

Jennifer Esposito didn't stay in the NCIS cast for long, but even during her short stint in the series, she managed to become a fan-favorite during the time she portrayed Alexandra Quinn. Quinn worked in the NCIS as a special agent, while she formerly worked for the  Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Esposito first appeared on the show's 14th season, and she left the show just as the season ended, as her character, Quinn, had to resign to take care of her mother who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Esposito hit the headlines with a controversial statement in 2018, claiming that she's lost 5 roles because of her Latino descent.

Emily Wickersham as Ellie Bishop

Few actors have won the hearts of NCIS fans as quickly as Emily Wickersham did, and that perfect smile surely has something to do with that. Wickersham introduced herself as an NCIS actress in 2013 when she started portraying Ellie Bishop, a Special Agent who previously worked for the NSA with a mission to track down terrorist Benham Parsa. Bishop can be characterized as a compassionate person and colleague, who's rather quiet as well. Wickersham recently appeared on CBS news, talking about her time in the show, women's place in Hollywood and funny moments backstage.

Liza Lapira as Michelle Lee

Liza Lapira joined NCIS in 2006, portraying Michelle Lee, and her character was quite mysterious. Hiding behind her cute face and shy attitude, Lee worked as an NCIS lawyer and Special Agent, but along the way, NCIS fans noticed that something wasn't quite right about her. Lee handed top-secret papers and information to an unknown source. Lee was blackmailed to reveal classified information, and ultimately, she and her handler were both killed in season 6, both at the hands of Special Agent Gibbs. NCIS skyrocketed Lapira's career, granting her many lucrative roles, with her latest recurring role having been in 9JKL. 

Alicia Coppola as Faith Coleman

Alicia Coppola's time in NCIS wasn't long, but she can be considered an NCIS essential, in a way. Coppola appeared on NCIS from 2003 to 2004, but in the same year, she had also played in JAG, which is considered to be the series' prequel. Coppola portrayed Faith Coleman, a US Army Lieutenant Commander and a JAG attorney and prosecutor. Coppola has also played in some of the most popular TV shows, such as Monk, Jericho and The Young and the Restless. As of 2017, she has been a regular in NCIS: Los Angeles, being an important part of the NCIS family.

Jamie Lee Curtis as Samantha Ryan

Jamie Lee Curtis has probably been the most famous actress to join the NCIS cast. However, she appeared on the show just for 5 episodes, probably because her salary was too high to handle. Curtis portrayed Dr. Samantha Ryan, who was in charge of the DoD PsyOps Division. It's safe to say though that most of the series' fans loved her because of her short relationship with Special Agent Leroy Gibbs. Amazingly, she didn't change her image to play in the show at all. We love seeing Curtis try different roles, as she mostly became famous for playing in horror films and series. She has been starring in New Girl since 2012.

Jacqueline Obradors as Paloma Reynosa

Jacqueline Obradors left the series as quickly as she appeared, playing in just three episodes of NCIS as Paloma Reynosa, the notorious Reynosa Cartel's leader. Paloma's father was the murdered drug baron Pedro Hernandez. Hernandez was killed by Special Agent Gibbs, who shot him in the head after Hernandez had killed his wife and child. Since then, Reynosa wanted to avenge her father's death. Obradors has played in a dozen TV shows, gaining most of her fame by starring in NYPD Blue, while we last saw her appear on-screen in 2018 when she played in Mayans M.C., the Sons of Anarchy spin-off. 

Rena Sofer as Margaret Allison Hart

Though Rena Sofer appeared in just 6 episodes of NCIS, we doubt that there's a single person who doesn't remember those stunning blue eyes. Sofer played Margaret Allison Hart, a defense attorney who really wasn't in good terms with the NCIS team. In fact, she always tried to put obstacles in Special Agent Gibbs' way, but eventually, he came out clean and won the fight. Though Sofer's stint on NCIS was rather short, she has enjoyed broad success as a TV actress, and in fact, she has been starring in The Bold And the Beautiful since 2013.

Sasha Alexander as Kate Todd

Kate Todd had been one of the NCIS' team's original members, but unfortunately, her story didn't have a happy ending. Played by gorgeous Sasha Alexander, Todd became a Special Agent in 2003, after resigning from the Secret Service. The team was left heartbroken when after almost 1 year in the NCIS, Todd was gunned down by a sniper. Todd was known for changing her hairstyle frequently and for going mostly for dark, gothic clothing. The last time we saw Alexander on screen was in a 2018 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, but we're sure that we're going to see her again pretty soon.

Weronika Rosati as Rivka David

Weronika Rosati appeared in just one episode of NCIS, but it was probably more than enough for people to notice her. She played Rivka David, Ziva, and Talid David's mother, and she appears in a flashback Ziva had. Rosati is mostly active in her home country of Poland, even though she has appeared in tons of American productions. She's considered one of the most talented European actresses at the time, and her salary is surely increasing annually. Currently, you can catch up with Rosati in the Polish TV series Diagnosis, where she has been playing since 2017.

Juliette Angelo as Emily Fornell

Juliette Angelo couldn't be absent from our NCIS list of course. The talented 19-year-old NCIS prodigy portrayed Emily Fornell, who was the daughter of FBI Agent Tobias Fornell. Angelo captivated the series' fans with her unique acting talent, and of course her ginger hair color. She has already performed in Broadway productions and being still pretty young, we expect her to become a Hollywood A-lister pretty soon. She played in NCIS from 2013 to 2016, and her latest TV-show success was her role in Shameless, where she appeared until 2018. What will her next move be?

Margo Harshman as Delilah Fielding

Margo Harshman's story is quite impressive. Her grandmother wanted her to become a model, so she made her join a beauty pageant when she was just 2 years old! At 5 though, Harshman started working as a child actress and the rest is history. She portrayed Delilah Fielding, a Department of Defense employee, in NCIS  from 2013 to 2017. Though this was her most recent role, Harshman has appeared in a slew of super-successful TV series, such as Grey's Anatomy, 90210, The Big Bang Theory and Bones. She's starting to become more and more famous as a TV actress.

Meredith Eaton as Carol Wilson

Before joining the NCIS cast, Meredith Eaton had played in many crime investigation series, with the NCIS executives thinking that she would be a great investment for the show. They proved to be right, and Eaton portrayed Carol Wilson from 2009 to 2013, first appearing in season 7. Working as a researcher at the Center for Disease Control, Wilson was close friends with Abigail Sciuto, as they studied together, with their goth style creating a strong bond between them. Eaton then went on to appear on NCIS: New Orleans as well, and as of 2017, she has been appearing on the McGyver TV series.

Diane Neal as Abigail Borin

Though Diane Neal is mostly famous for having played Casey Novak on CSI: Special Victims Unit, she managed to become a star during her time in NCIS as well. Neal portrayed Abigail Borin, an ex-marine who had served in Iraq. Her retirement from the Marines was the result of her lover's death, and she then joined the CGIS. Neal had become quite a familiar face on American television, but her acting career seems to have come to a halt in the last couple of years. We last saw her acting in 2015, when she played in NCIS: New Orleans and Blue Bloods. We hope to see her again soon.

Millie Bobby Brown as Rachel Barnes

Millie Bobby Brown made a one-episode appearance on NCIS, playing Rachel Barnes. Barnes looked like a normal child at first, but as time went by, the agents realized that she was responsible for the killing of her psychiatrist mother, stunning everyone. This happened in 2014. Fast forward two years, Brown became an international sensation with her star role in Stranger Things, where she still appears. Her immense success made her the youngest person to ever be included in Time magazine's 100 most influential people list, while no other has even managed to become a UNICEF Ambassador at her age. Oh, she's now 14.

Pauley Perrette as Abby Sciuto

Pauley Perrette is indubitably one of the series' biggest celebrities and even people who don't watch NCIS recognize her. That also happens because of her unique gothic style, with her hair color always being black, just like her rock n' roll outfits. Perrette plays Abby Sciuto in the series, who works as a forensic scientist and criminologist, and Sciuto had been in the show since day 1. However, in 2018 fans saw her playing for the last time, leaving the show after a stunning 352 episodes. This was the last time we saw her on TV as well, though we doubt that she'll find it hard to land her next star role.

Cote de Pablo as Ziva David

Another actress who spent many years being part of the series' cast is Cote De Pablo, known to NCIS fans as Ziva David. David originally served as a Mossad agent before joining the NCIS team as a Special Agent, becoming very popular to the show's audience. David eventually announced her permanent retirement from the NCIS and moved to Israel to spend the rest of her life, however, she was killed in a mortar attack at her farmhouse. De Pablo left the show in 2013, and she hasn't been very active since then. We last saw her playing in a 2016 TV movie called Prototype, but she's got a project coming up for 2019.

Abigail Breslin as Sandy Watson

Abigail Breslin has been in the acting game for a long time now, and truly, her appearance on NCIS is just one of many she's done on TV over the past few years. Starting as a child actress, Breslin quickly gained attention for her acting traits, landing lucrative roles. On NCIS, she appeared on just one episode, playing Sandy Watson, a piano-playing miracle kid, whose father was Navy Captain Mike Watson. Some years ago she made a shocking confession, claiming that somebody had abused her. There were also some rumors about a possible drug addiction, but even if they're true, Breslin is now back for good.

Courtney Ford as Kaylen Burrows

Courtney Ford is another actress who played in NCIS for just one episode, portraying Kaylen Burrows, a US Navy Petty Officer Second Class aboard the U.S.S. Majestic ship. Though Ford's time on the show wasn't long, she has been a household name on TV, having played in series such as True Blood and the hit show Supernatural, having significant earnings. In case you didn't know, Ford is married to Brandon Routh, who recently portrayed Superman on Superman Returns. They have one child together. Ford has been starring in Legends of Tomorrow since 2017.

China Anne McClain as Kayla Vance

Kayla Vance was NCIS director Leon Vance's daughter, appearing on the episode The Good Son. She was portrayed by China Anne McClain, who's already played in a number of TV shows, even having her own at a time, called A.N.T. Farm on Disney Channel. You can now catch up with McClain on Tyler Perry's The Paynes, where she's a regular. McClain is also quite successful in the music industry, being part of the girl group McClain, where she performs with her sisters. With her TV series portfolio being pretty impressive, McClain has managed to balance acting and music perfectly.

Darby Stanchfield as Shannon Gibs

Funny enough, Shannon Gibbs, who is Special Agent Gibb's first wife, appears on the series just on flashback scenes. She's played by Darby Stanchfield, and we first see her in a scene where Gibbs is informed that Shannon is dead. She appeared on the show from 2006 to 2012, and clearly, this is not her most famous role. Stanchfield has played in quite a lot of TV series, with her most famous role being in Scandal, where she starred from 2012 to 2018, with that being her most recent role up to now. However, she has also played in General Hospital, Bones, How I Met Your Mother and other shows which keep her bank account full.

Melinda McGraw as Diane Sterling

Melinda McGraw is a TV series veteran by now, but she did have her share in some NCIS stardom as well. McGraw played Diane Sterling, a former IRS investigator checking on the criminal background of suspicious people. Amazingly, Sterling was once married both to Special Agent Gibbs and to FBI agent Tobias Fornell, while she's also Emily Fornell's mother. McGraw has been in the TV-series spotlight for quite some time now, having played in hit shows like The X-Files and Mad Men. Since 2016, she has been appearing in a supporting role on a series called Outcast. 

Stephanie Mello as Cynthia Sumner

Stephanie Mello was part of the NCIS cast for 13 episodes, from 2005 to 2007. She portrayed Cynthia Summer, who worked as a personal secretary for Jenny Shepard, the NCIS director. The truth is, she was rarely seen on-screen, and though people remember her due to her fine looks, we can't say that her acting performance was as impressive. In fact, Mello has very few acting credits, and she last acted in 2013 when she played in Big Time Rush. It is because she gathered enough bucks to already afford retirement investments? We really don't know, though we doubt it.

Julie Benz as Denise Johnson

Few can forget Julie Benz, even if she appeared in NCIS for just a single episode. Those stunning eyes and perfect smile are hard to forget, but just like many other actresses on this list, Benz didn't actually become famous from NCIS. Her most prominent role has been the one in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, while she has also appeared in successful series like Dexter and CSI: Miami. On NCIS, she played Denise Johnson, the wife of the late Navy SEAL Rick Johnson. Her most recent series appearance was in 2017, when she played in Training Day, leaving us to anticipate more of her appearances.

Claudia Black as Velvet Road

Claudia Black's fierce looks indicate that she played some kind of a villain, and that's true actually. Appearing on the episode Borderland, Black portrays Velvet Road, a tattoo-covered motorcyclist who's a notorious drug dealer. Withal, Black has made most of her cash by working as a voice actress in numerous acclaimed video games, like God of War, Diablo III and Mass Effect 3. When it comes to playing on TV series, Black has joined the cast of shows such as Stargate SG-1 and 90210. The last time we saw her on TV was in 2016, in a series called Containment, and she's probably more focused on voice acting.

Carla Gallo as Melissa Wheeler Fox

Carla Gallo looked like a little girl when she played Melissa Wheeler Fox on NCIS in 2008, but in fact, she was 33 then! Fox is Petty Officer Ned Quinn's daughter, and she appeared just on one episode titled Silent Night. Gallo has played in several other series, with her most famous acting credit being in Californication. She has also played in Anger Management, Bones and Mad Men. In 2017, she gave birth to her second child with screenwriter Mark Satterthwaite. In 2018 she played in the film A Futile And Stupid Gesture. 

Jessica Steen As Paula Cassidy

Jessica Steen introduced herself to the NCIS audience in 2003 when the show actually started. Playing Paula Cassidy, Steen became a fan-favorite, especially due to her strong persona on screen and among her co-workers. Cassidy originally worked as an interrogator, but after an accident ended her partners' life, she joined NCIS, serving as a criminal profile expert. She last appeared on the show in 2015. Steen's appearances on TV series are countless, and her last appearance on a show was in 2018 in Grey's Anatomy. She has also played in Homefront, Monk and many more.

Tamara Taylor as Cassie Yates

We still remember Tamara Taylor and her stunning red dress when she first appeared on NCIS as Cassie Yates, a Special Agent, in 2005. Taylor was seen on the show just twice, but her performance was spectacular. She then landed the role of her life in 2005, becoming a regular in Bones, where she appeared in 223 episodes, until 2017. Taylor has also worked in the modeling industry, and it seems like she's equally talented both in acting and in modeling. As of 2018, Taylor has been starring in Altered Carbon, a cyberpunk series where she has a recurring role.

Nina Foch as Mrs. Victoria Mallard

Few actresses can compare to Nina Foch and her unique acting skills, and even when she appeared on NCIS at her old age, her acting finesse was evident. Foch portrayed Mrs. Victoria Mallard, Ducky Mallar's mother. Foch, however, is mostly famous for having appeared in iconic films like Executive Suite, The Ten Commandments, and Spartacus. Foch last acted in 2007, as she felt that she had become too old to appear on screen. Just one year later, in 2008, she passed away from a rare type of cancer. She was 84.

Brigid Brannagh as Catherine Reynolds

In 2005, we saw Brigid Brannagh appear on NCIS for the first and last time. Brannagh played Catherine Reynolds, a woman under supervision by psychiatrists, who later proved to have played a part in Jessica Smith's death. For a long time, Brannagh filled her acting portfolio with small roles on popular series like Star Trek: Enterprise, 24 and Grey's Anatomy. Withal, from 2017 she has been appearing on Runaways, having landed the star role. Amazingly, Brannagh has been acting since she was 13, and it was then that she started auditioning for roles for the first time.

Scottie Thompson as Jeanne Benoit

Scottie Thompson is definitely one of the most beautiful women to have appeared on NCIS, having portrayed Jeanne Benoit for the first time in 2006. Originally, people got to know her as Tony DiNozzo's doctor girlfriend, but it was then revealed, to everyone's surprise, that her father was the notorious arms dealer Rene Benoit. Thompson has been making money from TV-series roles for quite a while now, having also played in CSI: New York and 12 Monkeys. Her most recent role was in the 2018 TV film Hope At Christmas, but we bet that she'll be around for many years to come.