Fans of the “NCIS” cast have revealed the “secret sauce” to the hit show.
On Monday, Sean Murray, Rocky Carroll, Gary Cole, Vanessa Lachey and LL Cool J guested on “The Talk” ahead of the release of the crime drama’s 1,000th episode.
For Murray, the “secret” to the show is being close to his co-stars.
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Sean, who plays Timothy McGee, told the hosts: “Everybody’s trying to figure out what the secret is, but we’ve been together a long time. We’re a family.” “We really are, and I know a lot of people come and talk about being a family, but we really are.”
Murray explained that the entire “NCIS” franchise — which includes four spinoff shows, “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “NCIS: New Orleans” and “NCIS: Hawaii,” along with “NCIS: Sydney,” — is one “big extended family.”
“NCIS” has been renewed for a 22nd season, and the season premiere aired April 15. Monday night’s episode also happened to be the series’ 1,000th episode.
Murray said he doesn’t “think it’s possible” to have ever expected the series to be as successful as it has been.
“I don’t think it’s possible to do a show that has that kind of longevity,” he explained.
“You know how it is… you know, you do a pilot, if you’re lucky,” Murray told his co-stars. “You do a show for a year, that’s great. If you do more than that, that’s great. Twenty-two years is crazy.”
Mark Harmon, a longtime “NCIS” star for 19 years, spoke to Fox News Digital in November about the show’s success. At the time, Harmon echoed Murray’s sentiments, saying the show’s huge success was due in part to the camaraderie of the cast and crew.
“I think you’re really lucky to find that,” he said. “Sometimes that’s really rare. I always thought the show was about the characters and there was humor in it. And yes, there was a case and it was based on a true story at first. And then television changed, the showrunners changed, the writers changed, the actors changed, a lot of things changed, and that changed too.”
Harmon is leaving the series in 2021. While fans are eager to see Harmon return, the actor revealed to Fox News Digital that the only reason he took the role in the first place was because of the character’s name — he’s played Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs since the show’s premiere in 2003.
Mark Harmon on NCIS
Mark Harmon on the set of “NCIS.” In October 2021, it was announced that Harmon would be leaving the show and his iconic role as a series regular, but would continue to produce. (Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Image)
“I read a lot of scripts, and I read this one, and the name Leroy Jethro Gibbs just hit me,” he recalled. “And there was a moment in those few days where I think it changed to Bob Robinson or something. … And I immediately called and said, ‘This name has to be changed.’ And then someone said, ‘You can’t play a guy named Leroy Jethro Gibbs.’ I said, ‘Why not?’”
“If it wasn’t for that name, I don’t think I would be there,” he confessed.
The 2017 NCIS cast
The 2017 “NCIS” cast includes, from left to right, David McCallum, Brian Dietzen, Emily Wickersham, Wilmer Valderrama, Rocky Carroll, Mark Harmon, Maria Bello, Sean Murray, Duane Henry and Pauley Perrette. (Photo by Kevin Lynch/CBS via Getty Images)
Even when Harmon was absent from the cast—he remained on the show as a producer—“NCIS” remained hugely popular.
