Nearly two decades after swapping bodies in the beloved Disney film Freaky Friday, two of its stars found themselves sharing the screen once again—this time on the hit CBS procedural NCIS. However, instead of playing bickering family members, their characters found themselves entangled in a romantic subplot that, much to fans’ disappointment, didn’t last long
The reunion between Jamie Lee Curtis and Chad Michael Murray was a treat for nostalgic fans. In Freaky Friday, Curtis played the no-nonsense, overworked mother, Tess Coleman, while Murray played Jake, the charming high school love interest of Tess’s teenage daughter, Anna (played by Lindsay Lohan). Their scenes together in the film were filled with awkward humor, as Tess (while trapped in Anna’s body) found herself struggling to navigate high school dynamics—including interactions with Jake. Their chemistry, albeit comedic, left a lasting impression on audiences, making their unexpected NCIS reunion all the more intriguing.
Fast forward to NCIS, and Curtis took on the role of Dr. Samantha Ryan, a brilliant but secretive psychological operations expert who developed a complicated romance with the show’s main protagonist, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Their relationship was one of mutual admiration, intellectual compatibility, and, ultimately, bittersweet separation due to conflicting professional duties. Meanwhile, Murray guest-starred as Sergeant Andrew Weaver, a dedicated Marine involved in a gripping case that put him on the radar of the NCIS team. While their characters didn’t share a direct romantic connection, their presence in the same season of the show was enough to spark interest among fans who remembered their past collaboration.
Despite their NCIS characters moving in different storylines, fans couldn’t help but imagine an alternate scenario where Curtis and Murray’s characters found themselves drawn to each other in a new kind of romance. Their past comedic dynamic in Freaky Friday made it all the more amusing to consider what a romantic pairing could have looked like had NCIS decided to take their characters in that direction.
Curtis’s role on NCIS was particularly impactful, as Dr. Ryan was one of the few love interests to genuinely challenge Gibbs. Their chemistry was electric, but the nature of her work and the secrecy it required meant that their relationship was doomed from the start. Meanwhile, Murray’s guest appearance was brief but memorable, reinforcing his ability to play serious and disciplined roles, a stark contrast to his more lighthearted teen roles from the early 2000s.
Ultimately, the Freaky Friday reunion on NCIS was short-lived, but it provided a fun moment of recognition for longtime fans. It also served as a reminder of how Hollywood connections can resurface in unexpected ways, bridging the gap between nostalgia and fresh storytelling. While their romance on NCIS may have been fleeting, for those who remembered their Freaky Friday days, it was a delightful—if temporary—reunion.
