The NCIS: Los Angeles cast will see a number of major changes after the exits on the Season 12 finale and the first one for Season 13 were just announced.
Actor Gerald McRaney, who plays Retired Navy Admiral Hollace Kilbride on the NCIS: LA cast, is going to get a lot of additional screen time next season.
According to Deadline, McRaney has been promoted to a full-time actor on the show and he will no longer just play a recurring character.
With McRaney becoming a series regular, it likely means we are going to see a lot more of him in the offices. Does that also mean Linda Hunt won’t play Hetty Lange very much in Season 13 either?
NCIS: LA casting changes expected
During the Season 12 finale, Nell Jones and Eric Beale left NCIS: LA. Speaking about her character, Nell, Renee Felice Smith did an interview about her future. She did hint at being open to a possible return to the show. As it stands, though, Nell and Eric won’t be helping out the team when Season 13 finally arrives.
Admiral Kilbride is one of those characters that can bring humor or dramatic overtones to any scene, so the producers made a good choice by making the character more permanent. McRaney is really good at controlling any scene that he is in, so he gives the entire show more believability and power.
Producer speaks about decision to promote McRaney
“When you have an actor of Gerald McRaney’s caliber, you do everything you can to make sure you get him as often as possible,” executive producer R. Scott Gemmill said in an interview with Deadline. “Admiral Kilbride has been an esteemed part of our universe for seven years now and we look forward to viewers seeing him come in and shake up our NCIS: LA world.”
He’s right about how Kilbride has become a more recognizable piece within the world of the show and Season 12 wasn’t the first time that the character has popped up. Now, we can expect to see much more of him during Season 13, possibly as more of a team leader than a guy offering advice from the sidelines.
For anyone who hasn’t yet heard the news, CBS renewed NCIS: LA for Season 13. The show is also going to return to Sunday nights in the fall, airing at 9/8c after Season 2 episodes of The Equalizer. Unfortunately, it will no longer serve as the lead-in for NCIS: New Orleans, as that show was canceled by CBS.
NCIS: Los Angeles airs Sundays at 9/8c on CBS.
Hope they will add a new series in Hawaii