Trading epic quests for sitcom laughs? That was the dream for one Lord of the Rings star after years of solving crimes with Mark Harmon in NCIS. Tired of the procedural grind, he hoped to ditch the drama, do half-hour comedies, and just watch his kids grow up. But Hollywood had other plans.
Did he escape the long hours and serious roles? Well, let’s just say his story didn’t wrap up as neatly as a sitcom finale.
Sean Astin wanted to ditch crime dramas for comedy after NCIS role with Mark Harmon
Sean Astin has played everything from beloved sidekicks to tragic heroes, but his next career move? He’s hoping for laughs. The Lord of the Rings and Stranger Things star, who once worked alongside Mark Harmon in NCIS, revealed he’d love to swap crime procedurals for half-hour comedies. He shared (via Seanastinfan.blogpost),
I’m watching my kids growing up and our favorite times are when we’re all laughing together…That would really be a dream. Comedy is hard but fun.
Astin, known for carrying Frodo up Mount Doom and meeting a heartbreaking end as Bob Newby, took a different kind of role in NCIS Season 9. He played Tyler Elliott, a sharp PsyOps agent under Jamie Lee Curtis’ Dr. Samantha Ryan. Though his guest spot was brief, it left a mark. He said,
NCIS is legendary for having a very close-knit, family-style, hard-working, professional team…So being able to step in and participate with them, it makes you feel a little less like a free agent for a minute. It makes you feel like you’re a part of something.
His role in NCIS wasn’t just a random casting — executive producer Gary Glasberg admitted they wrote it just for him. Glasberg alluded during an interview with Entertainment Weekly (per Looper):
I’ve been a big fan of Sean’s for years and this is a part we literally tailored for him…Jamie’s character, Doctor Ryan, oversees a team of brilliant PsyOps agents and Sean will prove to be her go-to operative.
Astin’s character brought a refreshing contrast to NCIS’ usual dynamic, going head-to-head with Michael Weatherly’s Tony and earning praise from Ziva (Cote de Pablo).
Now, with his kids growing up, Astin is eyeing comedy. After decades in the industry, he’s ready for something lighter, proving once again that his career, much like his characters, always finds a way to evolve.
NCIS creator sued CBS after Mark Harmon ‘betrayal’ and won a massive settlement
NCIS creator Donald Bellisario didn’t just leave the show; he took CBS to court over it. In 2011, he sued the network, claiming they cut him out of the first spin-off, NCIS: Los Angeles, despite a contract giving him first opportunity to work on it. And he blamed Mark Harmon for the betrayal.
The lawsuit followed years of tension between Bellisario and Harmon, who reportedly pushed for his exit over his chaotic management style. CBS suggested Bellisario take a step back, but instead, he resigned as showrunner after four successful seasons.
Though he remained an executive producer, he wasn’t hands-on after 2007. The legal battle dragged on until 2013, when CBS settled for an undisclosed sum. Despite the feud, the network called Bellisario one of the best creative talents of his time. But behind the scenes, the NCIS power struggle was anything but amicable.
Watch NCIS on Hulu & Apple TV and LOTR on Prime Video.
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