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NCIS‘ milestone 1000th episode will feature plenty of Easter eggs, including cameos from a few familiar faces. NCIS: Los Angeles‘ Daniela Ruah is one of them, but is she returning to the franchise for good? We have the answer below.
Ruah starred as Special Agent Kensi Blye for all 14 seasons of NCIS: Los Angeles. The series, which was the first spin-off of the flagship, came to a bittersweet end in May 2023. It followed the Office of Special Projects (OSP) in Los Angeles, which specialized in undercover assignments and apprehending dangerous criminals. Rounding out the cast was Chris O’Donnell, Eric Christian Olsen, Linda Hunt, Nia Long, LL Cool J and Renée Felice Smith, among others. Since the series wrapped, only LL Cool J has remained in the NCIS franchise, with a recurring role on Season 3 of NCIS: Hawai’i.
That’s about to change, however, as Ruah is reprising her role for a special appearance in the franchise’s 1000th episode. The upcoming cameo has fans wondering if Ruah will be coming back to NCIS full time — whether it be on the mothership or one of the spin-offs. We have everything you need to know below.
Is Daniela Ruah coming back to NCIS for good? Unfortunately, Ruah’s reprisal of Kensi Blye will be short-lived. The actress is only returning for the franchise’s 1000th episode, which airs on the mothership on April 15.
As it turns out, Ruah’s cameo was a last-minute addition that she filmed while directing the upcoming NCIS: Hawai’i episode “The Next Thousand,” airing right after NCIS. “We actually shot that while I was in Hawai’i, beginning our shoot for my episode,” Ruah told TV Insider ahead of her special appearance. “I got the call, and they were like, ‘Would you mind shooting this? Can we just quickly shoot this while you’re there?’ And of course, I would never say no to being in the 1,000th episode of NCIS.”
Although her character will not appear in person alongside the D.C.-based NCIS team, fans are still excited to see her back on their TV screens. “We just found a car that was the same as Kensi’s car and I sat in it,” Ruah previewed of the cameo. “We had to revisit pictures of Kensi’s car to make sure it matched enough, and we just sort of shot it as simply as we could because [it was] a Zoom call, obviously, but I was just happy to be a part of it. To be able to be in the episode was fantastic. I love those guys.”
Ruah is not the only familiar face that will be featured in the milestone episode. Joe Spano is also coming back as FBI Special Agent Tobias “T.C.” Fornell and Vanessa Lachey’s Jane Tennant will be crossing over from NCIS: Hawai’i.
“We’re going to pay plenty of homage to the past,” showrunner David North told TVLine ahead of the episode, adding that there will be “some Easter eggs for longtime fans of the show.” He joked: “If you’re watching it in 4K, you might have to blow somethings things up, but they’re going to be there.”
After Ruah’s return to the screen, fans can watch her behind-the-scenes work on NCIS: Hawai’i. The actress made her directorial debut on NCIS: Los Angeles during Season 12 and stepped behind the camera again for a Season 21 episode of NCIS titled “Left Unsaid,” which aired this past March. “Kensi was born as a character on NCIS, 15 years ago, so now to be able to step onto that set again, as a director, with that incredible cast and crew, is an absolute honor,” she told Deadline in January 2024. “So many familiar faces and people I love and they’ve welcomed me with open arms. It’s like coming home.”
