"NCIS" Season 14 is welcoming a returning character and a new one to play as a series regular. Duane Henry, who played M16 Officer Layton Reeves during the last season and "Blue Bloods" alum Jennifer Esposito are slated to appear in the CBS action police television series beginning Season 14.
The news came after it was revealed that Tess Monroe (Sarah Clarke) will not be returning in "NCIS" Season 14 after her initial appearance in the previous installment. The character of Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) will also be not seen after he departed the series last spring.
Esposito will be joining the series as Alex Quinn, an ex-agent who will later become a Law Enforcement Training instructor. Special Agent Leroy Gibbs (star Mark Harmon) will recruit her back in his team to take advantage of her talents as a special agent.
"We couldn't be happier to have Jennifer Esposito joining us for season 14," TV Guide quoted executive producer Gary Glasberg as saying. "She embodies everything that we hoped for in the character of Quinn and we can't wait to have her come be a part of our team."
It could be remembered that Espolito quit the 2012 CBS series "Blue Bloods" due to some misunderstanding with the network. She was reportedly fired by the network due to her Celiac disease.
Before the latest casting news, CBS had added Wilmer Valderrama as a series regular in June. He is set to portray the role of a grounded NCIS agent who went missing ,and upon his return he is more focus to fulfill his job and duties to his country. The name of his character has not yet been revealed by the network.
In an interview with AOL, Valderrama shared a few details on how he got his role in the No. 1 show on television. He considered the invite from CBS extremely flattering.
Valderrama mentioned that the invitation from CBS came after Michael Weatherly informed the network of his resignation. CBS had seen him in the pilot "Four Stars," which reportedly left the network a positive impression of his performance.
The actor is well known for his roles in the series "Grey's Anatomy," "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series," and "Minority Report." "NCIS" Season 14 will be returning on Sept. 20.
Check the details on "NCIS"