Like most procedural series,NCIS’ssuccess heavily relies on the strength of its ensemble cast. It needs good characters and interpersonal dynamics for audiences to love (and sometimes hate) to carry them from formulaic episode to formulaic episode. So, when some of the show’s actors choose to leave, their exit can be bittersweet: giving an opportunity for new stories and characters, but also forcing hard goodbyes.Lauren Holly’sdeparture as Jenny Shepard left such a mark onNCISfans.
Holly joined the cast as Shepard in Season 3 following Thomas Morrow’s (Alan Dale) resignation, and replaced him as NCIS director until Season 5. Despite only appearing in three seasons of the long-running show, Shepard has had a lasting effect on her team of special agents, as well as viewers. The character bid a dramatic farewell in the Season 5 two-part finale, “Judgment Day,” which saw her sacrifice herself to protect her colleagues.
Since then, her inspiring (though short-lived) balance of ambition and empathy as a female boss in a male-dominated agency has cemented her fan-favorite status. So, what exactly prompted her exit? Here’s a closer look at why Holly felt like it was time to move on from the show.
Lauren Holly Was Ready for a Change
On her website, Holly wrote that when she auditioned forNCIS,Shepard was only supposed to be around for six episodesina supporting role. However, the character’s popularity made for an eventual three-season stint. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like there was enough material to justify any more involvement in the series than that.By that time, Gibbs' and Shepard’s romance started feeling dragged out and stagnant, and Shepard’s quest to defeat Benoit got in the way of other storylines further developing the character. As a result, Holly began losing interest and wanted to seek out new, challenging roles.
This artistic restlessness was especially heightened after original showrunner Don Bellisario was removed. Holly explained: “I enjoyed being on the show, and began some wonderful friendships.I was saddened that Don Bellisario was forced out, and I missed him a lot. To be honest, now that the work bug had bitten me again, I got bored with my part of the ‘Director.'” Thus, while Holly is grateful for the experience onNCISand looks back on it fondly, she ultimatelywanted to move onin a different direction, just as Bellisario’s exit altered the show’s direction, too.
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‘NCIS’s Tense Set
While Holly missed Bellisario’s influence asNCIS’sco-creator, his way of running things behind the scenes may have also contributed to her exit.Those who worked on the set have talked about the tense working relationship between Bellisario and series star Mark Harmon.According toThe Hollywood Reporterinterview with the minds behindNCIS, the two were essential in making the showthe hit it still is today, but Harmon found Bellisario’s disorderly micromanagement taxing, and it negatively impacted his life too much. Considering Harmon was working 16 hours a day, every day, on the series at the time, while having to deal with constant chaotic oversight, their strained dynamic makes sense.
However, despite the issues between them,Harmon never pushed for Bellisario’s removal nor intended for their feud to cost him his job. CBS executives suggested that Bellisario take a more distant role in his involvement on the show. Ultimately, it was Bellisario’s decision to leave and pursue other projects. All that is to say, the difficult working environment could have also led to Holly’s discontent and subsequent departure from the show. Either way, it’s probably good that she got out when she did, because if she had been bored with Shepard by Season 5, we can only imagine how miserable she would’ve been after the17 seasons that followed.
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Where Is Lauren Holly Today?
After leavingNCIS, Holly took on a few small movie and TV roles. She lent her voice to the animated seriesThe Adventures of Chuck & Friendsfrom 2010-2012,and appeared inHallmark Channel movieslikeMy Summer PrinceandA Country Wedding. Likewise, she booked a recurring role on the Hallmark seriesHailey Dean Mystery. Whiletalking withSmashing Interviews Magazine, Holly gushed about getting to work with the family-friendly network as a long-time fan, “I’m a mom, and they’re great for my boys to watch.”
Holly has also popped up in several police procedurals and crime dramas following her work as the memorable NCIS director, such asLeverage, Covert Affairs, Rookie Blue, Motive,andDesignated Survivor. Additionally, the actress has dipped her toes in the fantasy and supernatural genres, includingLucifer,Good Witch, and the horror flickThe Blackcoat’s Daughter. More recently, she starred as Monique DuBois in thenow-canceled Netflix seriesTiny Pretty Things, and currently portrays the charming (though selfish) mother and divorcee, Joanne Kowalski, on The CW’s dramaFamily Law.
Overall, Holly has kept busy in showbiz, marking a successful career full of the different, interesting characters she hoped to play after leavingNCISbehind.
NCISis available for streaming on Paramount+, Netflix, Hulu, and Pluto TV.
