Sean Murray Weighs in on Rumors of His NCIS Exit: ‘No One’ Is ‘Safe’

Sean Murray is building the suspense around his NCIS character’s fate.

The actor, 48 — also the longest-running cast member on NCIS — has portrayed tech genius Timothy McGee for over two decades, and fans of the show have witnessed his evolution from a newbie to a crucial part of the team. But like many long-running TV dramas, NCIS has seen its fair share of regular cast members come and go, and lately fans have grown anxious over whether Murray’s McGee might be next.

Murray told TV Line he’s aware of the rumors around his character: “There’s always an element of the gossip thing that comes up,” he said. While he didn’t divulge any specifics about his future on the show, Murray reminded fans that just about anything can happen when it comes to NCIS.

“Things can take big, unexpected turns with characters,” Murray teased. “I mean, things can happen. No one is ever quite safe on this show.”

“Don’t forget: We were also the show [where] one of the lead characters took a bullet and died at the end of season 2,” he added, referencing the shocking death of Tony’s partner Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander).

Now in its 23rd season, NCIS showcases the ups and downs of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the fictional version of the real-world federal agency, which deals with everything from murder, espionage and terrorism to stolen watercrafts.

In the season’s sixth episode, Murray’s character is kidnapped while promoting his new book in his Deep Six crime series, per the episode’s logline — ramping up speculation about Timothy McGee’s fate.

“We’ve had some really surprising things happen,” Murray told TV Line. “I can tell you there’s stuff coming up this year that longtime fans of the show are really going to enjoy, because it’s different for us and unexpected.”

New episodes of NCIS air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST.