Every Notable Actor from ‘NCIS’ Franchise Who Died

The ‘NCIS’ franchise has been on the air for decades, which means many memorable guest stars and beloved regulars have passed through its sets. Over the years, some of those actors have sadly died, leaving behind characters and episodes that continue to show up in reruns and streaming queues.

This list looks back at the most notable actors from across ‘NCIS’ and its spinoffs who are no longer with us. You will find each person’s connection to the franchise, the roles they played, and how the shows marked their passings, along with key credits or appearances that help place their work in context for longtime viewers.

David McCallum

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David McCallum portrayed Dr. Donald Ducky Mallard on ‘NCIS’ from the first season through his final appearance two decades later. He died in September 2023 at the age of 90. The series honored both the character and the actor with the episode The Stories We Leave Behind in February 2024, which wove a case from Ducky’s files into a farewell that included archival moments and in universe tributes from the team.

McCallum’s early career included ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ and extensive stage and voice work, but he remained active on ‘NCIS’ into his nineties with an emeritus role that kept Ducky consulting on cases. His presence also stretched into the franchise timeline through ‘NCIS: Origins’ which revisits a younger Ducky and underscores how central the character remained to the show’s mythology.

Miguel Ferrer

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Miguel Ferrer played Assistant Director Owen Granger on ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ for seven seasons. He died in January 2017 at age 61. The series wrote Granger’s absence into the story the following year and shifted the leadership dynamic at the Office of Special Projects as new characters stepped into the chain of command.

Ferrer’s tenure covered major arcs that paired Granger with Hetty and the field team in high risk operations. His departure prompted staffing changes on screen and behind the scenes, with the series bringing in a new assistant director as the unit adapted to the loss of a key figure.

Ralph Waite

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Ralph Waite recurred on ‘NCIS’ as Jackson Gibbs, father of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He died in February 2014 at age 85. The season 11 finale Honor Thy Father addressed his death directly within the narrative and served as a tribute episode that sent Gibbs back to Stillwater and closed out Jackson’s storyline.

Waite first appeared as Jackson in 2008 and became an anchor for Gibbs’ backstory through several episodes. His final prior appearance aired in November 2013, and the series used letters, keepsakes, and small town memories to frame his goodbye in a way that tied personal history to the procedural’s weekly cases.

Ravil Isyanov

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Ravil Isyanov was a recurring presence on ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ as Anatoli Kirkin, a colorful figure with ties to the Russian underworld who crossed paths with the team over multiple seasons. He died in September 2021 at age 59. His episodes between 2013 and 2021 charted Kirkin’s complicated friendships and rivalries with OSP and included several storylines that blended humor with organized crime stakes.

Following his passing, later seasons referenced his absence and fans revisited his standout appearances from earlier years. His work on the show is often identified by his interactions with Deeks and Kensi and by plots that used Kirkin’s shifting loyalties to move investigations forward.

Annie Wersching

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Annie Wersching guest starred on ‘NCIS’ as Deputy District Attorney Gail Walsh in the season 8 episode False Witness. She died in January 2023 at age 45. Her appearance centered on a case where a key witness vanished, and her character’s decisions forced the team to weigh conflicting priorities as they worked to secure a conviction.

Wersching’s television career included prominent roles on ‘24’ and ‘Bosch’ and a recurring part on ‘Star Trek: Picard’. Her single episode on ‘NCIS’ remains a solid example of how the show often folds outside agencies and legal partners into its investigations to reveal hidden motives and procedural pressure points.

Gregory Itzin

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Gregory Itzin appeared in the ‘NCIS’ franchise starting with ‘JAG’ in the late nineties, then in the first two episodes of ‘NCIS’ in 2003 as Director Charlie, and later returned in season 17 as Spencer Downing in Ephemera. He died in July 2022 at age 74. His early appearance helped establish the political backdrop around the fledgling team, while his later guest spot tied a modern case to historical material and personal archives.

Itzin’s broader television work often drew on his ability to play officials and power brokers, which made him a good fit for the show’s mix of military and federal settings. His roles within the franchise chart a neat arc from the pilot era to a reflective case years later that used documents and memory to reframe a cold lead.

René Auberjonois

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René Auberjonois guested on ‘NCIS’ as Dr. Felix Blackwell in the season 10 episode Phoenix. He died in December 2019 at age 79. The episode involved a scientific figure whose expertise intersected with a medical subplot for the team, placing his character at the center of key lab details and ethical questions.

Auberjonois’ appearance sits alongside a long career in television and voice work. On ‘NCIS’ his character served as a pivotal source of information, and his scenes helped advance both the procedural investigation and character driven beats that revolved around responsibility and second chances.

Chaney Kley

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Chaney Kley appeared in season 1 of ‘NCIS’ in the episode Hung Out to Dry as Marine Corporal Paul Brinkman. He died in July 2007 at age 34. The episode followed a training jump gone wrong and used Brinkman’s unit relationships to lead the team through interviews and forensic checks that uncovered the truth behind the fatal fall.

Kley’s role gave early ‘NCIS’ a window into Marine culture and peer dynamics during a high pressure investigation. His character’s placement within the squad allowed Gibbs and his agents to map tensions and timelines that ultimately separated accident from intent.

Sam Sarpong

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Sam Sarpong guested on ‘NCIS’ in the first season episode Seadog as Bobby Jackson. He died in October 2015 at age 40. His appearance unfolded within a case that began with a body on a Virginia beach and expanded into a web of boat owners, college students, and potential smugglers that the team had to untangle.

Sarpong’s role placed him among the key witnesses and persons of interest that populated early episodes. These parts often required quick shifts between casual encounters and formal interrogations, and his scenes helped move the plot from initial suspicion to clearer motive and means.

Heath Freeman

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Heath Freeman appeared on ‘NCIS’ in the season 1 episode Minimum Security as Benjamin Frank. He died in November 2021 at age 41. The case involved a death tied to contraband and required the team to trace a chain of events through interviews and evidence that connected a petty officer’s background to a broader smuggling angle.

Freeman’s work on the episode complemented his later recognition for a recurring role on another network procedural. Within ‘NCIS’ his character fit the show’s pattern of building cases through layered witness statements and incremental forensic details that take shape as the team pressures inconsistencies.

Michael Gilden

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Michael Gilden appeared twice on ‘NCIS’ in 2006 as forensic botanist Marty Pearson. He died in December 2006 at age 44. His character assisted Abby and the team by applying plant science to trace materials that linked victims and suspects to locations and timelines.

Gilden’s episodes highlight the way the show brings in specialized experts when standard lab work needs a different lens. The character’s contributions helped narrow search areas and connect otherwise mundane debris to specific environments that pushed investigations past a stall.

Vachik Mangassarian

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Vachik Mangassarian had roles connected to the franchise that included a guest appearance on ‘NCIS’ and earlier work on ‘JAG’. He died in January 2022 at age 78. On ‘NCIS’ he appeared in a storyline that used diplomatic identities and misdirection to complicate jurisdiction and accountability during a sensitive inquiry.

His credits across legal and crime dramas made him a familiar face in parts that sit at the intersection of politics and investigation. Within the ‘NCIS’ universe his scenes underscored how official titles and forged credentials can blur lines for agents who need clean chains of custody and verified authority.

Peter Navy Tuiasosopo

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Peter Navy Tuiasosopo appeared on ‘NCIS’ in the season 10 episode Hereafter as Charles Chucky Bang Kang. He died in February 2025 at age 61. The episode centered on an underground fight ring and a dead Marine, and his character figured into the network of organizers and participants that the team had to map in order to identify the people responsible.

Tuiasosopo’s long screen career included film and television roles that often drew on his athletic background. His single ‘NCIS’ appearance placed him inside a case with physical evidence, surveillance work, and interview pressure that converged to expose the operation’s structure and motives.

Please share any other names or episodes you think belong here in the comments.