Emily Wickersham’s NCIS Screen Test Was On Two Of The Main Sets, And I’m Obsessed With The Way Mark Harmon Let Her Know She’d Landed The Bishop Gig

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Emily Wickersham's NCIS Screen Test Was On Two Of The Main Sets, And I'm Obsessed With The Way Mark Harmon Let Her Know She'd Landed The Bishop Gig

As a gamer with over two decades of binge-watching TV series under my belt, I can confidently say that the casting of Emily Wickersham as Ellie Bishop in NCIS was nothing short of masterful. The fact that Mark Harmon, the man behind Leroy Jethro Gibbs, had a hand in the selection process speaks volumes about the actress’s talent and the character’s fit within the team.

In the commencement of NCIS Season 11, Cote de Pablo left after eight consecutive seasons as a regular cast member, but she later appeared as Ziva David in the Season 16 finale and several episodes of Season 17. Since then, she’s been busy working on the upcoming spinoff titled NCIS: Tony & Ziva. In the year 2013, it became necessary to find someone to fill the vacancy left by Ziva within the team led by Leroy Jethro Gibbs, portrayed by Mark Harmon. This role eventually went to Emily Wickersham’s character, Ellie Bishop. Her audition process was unusual as she was tested for the part on two of the main NCIS sets, and an interesting twist occurred when Harmon personally presented her with a special token to signify that she had secured the position. I commend him for his choice of gift.

During Emily Wickersham’s discussion about her departure from NCIS on “Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch,” Michael Weatherly, who plays Tony DiNozzo and co-hosts the podcast with Cote de Pablo, shared insights into how Wickersham came to be cast as Bishop. Notably, Wickersham mentioned that Weatherly had a “better memory” of the events, so he began by recounting:

1. The testing location switched between Gibbs’ basement and the squad room, as two distinct sets were utilized. Emily arrived at the production site. We actually set aside half a workday for this test. During your screen test with Mark Harmon, upon completion of the test, he unexpectedly handed you a bishop chess piece he had in his pocket. This was likely because he believed you were the character Bishop and intended to present that piece to whoever he felt embodied the role best.

When Emily Wickersham tried out to play Ellie Bishop, Mark Harmon had already served as an executive producer on NCIS for about five years. This means that besides bringing Gibbs to life on-screen, he also played a significant role in major creative choices, such as casting decisions. According to Michael Weatherly’s comments, it seems that Wickersham hadn’t been formally brought onto the show yet when Harmon gave her the Bishop badge, but he felt she was the perfect fit for the character. Weatherly added: “In his opinion, there was no one more suitable for the role.”

As a gamer, it’s just like playing a role where Mark Harmon takes charge – he’s the alpha, the one who keeps things under control, like a protective Papa Bear or wise Papa Smurf. This character gifted me a unique token, symbolizing my role, but also subtly reminding me who’s boss. It was a subtle ‘I make the calls.’

In a fascinating turn of events, it’s intriguing how Harmon had the bishop character piece prepped, ready to be assigned to the perfect actor for Ellie Bishop. Once he was captivated by Emily Wickersham’s performance, this conviction was more than enough to sway other producers to hire her. Additionally, instead of a typical office meeting room, Wickersham auditioned on the basement and squad room sets. Perhaps, the fact that Harmon observed her deliver lines in those specific settings helped him recognize that she was indeed the ideal choice for Bishop.

Just like Cote de Pablo, actress Emily Wickersham played her role in NCIS for eight seasons and bid farewell in the Season 18 finale titled “Rule 91”. After damaging her reputation by revealing NSA secrets and being dismissed from NCIS, Bishop embarked on a covert CIA mission led by Odette, a former colleague of Ziva’s. This could potentially pave the way for Wickersham to reprise her character, Bishop, if needed, even as a guest star, once her mission concludes.

At present, Season 22 of NCIS is set to debut on Monday, October 14 at 8 pm ET. Following this, the Gibbs-centric prequel titled NCIS: Origins will air according to the 2024 TV schedule. To catch up on the previous 21 seasons of NCIS and other shows in the franchise, consider subscribing to Paramount+ for streaming purposes.

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2024-09-02 15:07