Why Michael Weatherly Left the Show
Weatherly startled NCIS viewers in January 2016 by announcing that he will be quitting the program permanently. He stated, “I shall miss the incredible staff and actors, who are like family to me. “And thank you to all of the fans throughout the world; it’s been a wonderful trip!” Later, he said that he had been itching to do more diverse roles and that he believed it was the right moment for him to leave the program. He received his next major acting role quite quickly, so he obviously made the right choice!
Pauley Perrette as Abigail Sciuto
For an incredible 15 seasons, Pauley Perrette’s Abby Sciuto, a pig-tailed forensic scientist, was a favorite of the NCIS audience. She even made appearances in four episodes of the NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans spinoffs of the main series. Given the popularity of her portrayal of Abby Sciuto, Perrette rose to prominence among American primetime television actresses in 2011. Her enormous popularity only served to make her exit in 2018 all the more unexpected.
What transpired on the set that motivated her to permanently leave the program is detailed below.
Why Pauley Perrette Left the Show
According to reports, Perrette and co-star Mark Harmon were extremely tense with one other and insisted on having entirely distinct shooting schedules. When Harmon’s dog attacked a staff member in 2016, putting them in the hospital, tensions began to rise. As a result of how uncomfortable it was making the rest of the cast and crew, Perrette became quite outspoken about Harmon not bringing the dog back to the set. Then, in 2019, Perrette wrote that Harmon had given her nightmares and that she was truly afraid of him. She was unapologetically direct with viewers about the fact that she wouldn’t be coming back to the program.
Adam Jamal Craig as Dominic Vail
You have to be always conscious that your character might be killed off when you’re performing in a program like NCIS. Adam Jamal Craig (shown, right), who portrayed rookie agent Dominic “Dom” Vail and was initially slated to be a series regular in the spinoff NCIS: Los Angeles, experienced just that. Before being kidnapped, Dom appeared in the first 13 episodes. This caused his role to disappear. Here is why the decision was taken by the show’s producers.
Why Adam Jamal Craig Left the Show
Shane Brennan, the executive producer, reportedly has a wicked sense of humor. To keep the audience on their toes, he simply had Dom murdered off the program. I firmly believe in manipulating the audience’s expectations, he declared. They need to understand that nothing is sacrosanct. The cast is also aware of the game I play. Nobody is secure. Adam Jamal Craig handled it well, saying that even though he had “high aspirations for Agent Vail,” he still had “full confidence and respect in [Brennan’s] vision for the characters and the universe he built.” It would appear that this mentality would easily lead to a hostile climate on set.