7 actors you probably forgot made a cameo in NCIS

NCIS (2003-present) is a household name for crime procedural drama fans. With over two decades of high-profile investigations, shocking revelations, and complex interpersonal dynamics within the Major Case Response Team, there is no dearth of entertaining and unique storylines.

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (until season 19) and his team go in hot pursuit of crimes related to the US Navy and Marine Corps, leading to expansive storylines with an endless list of support cast members. This even includes a cameo from the Former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama.

Whether it's because of the show's long history or because the supporting cast hadn't become big names when their episode aired, fans might have missed these 7 actors who have a cameo in NCIS. Here's a detailed list.

Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong solely to the writer.

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Millie Bobby Brown, Kunal Nayyar, and other actors who have cameo roles in NCIS

1) Millie Bobby Brown (Season 12 episode 6)

A young Bobby Brown played a cameo in the show (Image via Getty)

Before she was the celebrated Eleven on the Netflix original, Stranger Things (2016-present), Millie Bobby Brown acted in the episode Parental Guidance Suggested in NCIS. Fans might not have recognized her at first glance, but a rewatch would have them pointing at the screen in surprise. Her career took off a couple of years after this episode.

When the wife of a Navy SEAL is murdered, the team frantically tries to uncover the culprit, especially after the commander's name is on a terrorist hit list. But shockingly, the victim's eleven-year-old psychopathic daughter named Rachel, played by Bobby Brown, is revealed to be the murderer. Her performance hauntingly captured her lack of remorse, making the episode one of the best.

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2) Kunal Nayyar (Season 4 episode 12)

The Big Bang Theory fame Nayyar appears in NCIS (Image via Getty)

Ask any sitcom fan, and they would know who Kunal Nayyar is. The awkward and dorky astrophysicist Raj Koothrapalli from Big Bang Theory (2007-2019) had an NCIS cameo before he went on to become one of the most beloved characters on television. His role is minimal, so it's a blink-and-you-will-miss-it moment.

In the episode Suspicion, the actor played Youssef Zidan, the Iraqi terrorist and henchman who builds bombs in a garage. The episode revolves around the investigation of a high-intelligence officer's murder in a hotel room, which eventually leads to Zidan's crew.

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3) Glen Powell (Season 10 episodes 6 and 7)

Powell plays a Marine Corps Sergeant (Image via Getty)

Before his rise to stardom, Glen Powell had an NCIS cameo that fans might have missed. The actor plays Marine Sergeant Evan Westcott, brother of Sergeant Joe Westcott, in Shell Shock I and Shell Shock II. While Joe is the focus of the investigation as a man suffering from PTSD, Powell is a quiet but commanding presence next to him, offering support and helping his brother with his symptoms.

After these episodes, Powell went on to star in the Fox slasher classic Scream Queens (2015-2016) alongside Emma Roberts, and his career only went up from there. With roles in Anyone But You (2023), Top Gun: Maverick (2022), and Twisters (2024), he has made a splash as the popular lead to watch out for.

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4) Jamie Lee Curtis (Season 9, episodes 16, 18, 20, 23, and 24)

Lee Curtis has a story arc on the show (Image via Getty)

With a short but memorable character arc in season 9, Jamie Lee Curtis' NCIS cameo is one for the books. She played Dr. Samantha Ryan, the head of the Department of Defense's PsyOps Division. She helps the agents with a murder investigation, while also bugging Gibbs' house when she doesn't get all the information she wants.

Dr. Ryan's street smarts brought out a different dimension in the show's stoic lead as the duo gets closer in the few episodes. However, her arc is cut short after she is forced to flee with her son following her violent ex-husband's release from prison. Fans know Lee Curtis as a 'scream queen' for her iconic roles in slasher franchises like Freaky Friday and Halloween.

Her role as IRS Agent Deirdre Beaubeirdre in Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) earned her an Academy Award. She also has a BAFTA Award (for Trading Places), a Primetime Emmy, two Golden Globes (for True Lies and Everything But Love), and two SAG Awards.

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5) Jon Cryer (Season 13 episode 1)

Cryer plays a doctor is NCIS season 13 (Image via Getty)

The Two and a Half Men (2003-2015) alum, with a long career in film and TV, appeared as Dr. Cyril Taft, a naval surgeon in NCIS season 13. He had an intense role on the show as the doctor operating on a bullet-ridden Agent Gibbs and saving his life. However, what stands out is his witty back-and-forth with the agent during his three-episode stint.

In a podcast interview with Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch published in September 2024, the Pretty in Pink actor told the hosts that he had a dream of playing a corpse on the crime drama for so long, but ended up starring as a doctor instead. The actor has won plenty of accolades for his roles over the years, including two Primetime Emmys and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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6) Zac Efron (Season 3 episode 13)

Efron has an NCIS cameo as a high school kid (Image via Getty)

Just before landing the role that shot him to fame as Troy Bolton in the Disney classic High School Musical (2006), Zac Efron crossed over to the crime drama realm as high schooler Daniel Austin in the episode Deception. He is simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, using a phone that is linked to a case. Tony and Ziva question him, but ultimately, he has no involvement in the crime.

Efron went on to act in movies like Neighbors (2014), A Family Affair (2024), Baywatch (2017), and The Greatest Showman (2017). His foray into Netflix reality television, titled Down to Earth With Zac Efron (2020-2022), earned him a Primetime Emmy Award.

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7) Misha Collins (Season 3 episode 4)

The Supernatural alum is a guest star on the show (Image via Getty)

Dmitri "Misha" Collins is one in a long list of Supernatural (2006-2020) cast members to crossover and make an NCIS cameo. Before he played the beloved angel Castiel on the horror drama, he starred as Justin Farris, an initial suspect in the kidnapping of a Navy Lieutenant in the episode Singled Out.

His character is the comic relief and a sort of red herring in the investigation. While his appearance is brief, fans enjoyed his role as the petty car thief who turns himself in after finding the victim in the trunk of a recently stolen car. The actor has also starred in Gotham Knights (2023) and Girl, Interrupted (1999).

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Watch all episodes of NCIS on Paramount+, Prime Video, Netflix, or Hulu.

Edited by Arunava Dutta