Top 10 Stars You Forgot Were on NCIS

In season ten, Ziva kills former Mossad assistant director Ilan Bodnar to avenge her father. In the fallout, the D.O.D. sends Inspector Parsons to investigate the team. Parsons is played by none other than Colin Hanks. Introduced with his typical boyish charm, Hanks quickly brings a surprising amount of intensity. We learn that Parsons isn’t the pencil pusher he appears to be and is actually after Gibbs. In a three-episode arc bleeding into season eleven, the pair go from enemies to respected allies. Hanks’ portrayal of the multi-faceted inspector will always be a memorable one for “NCIS” fans.

Character actor Corey Stoll has really come into his own in the last ten years. He’s played a bent congressman on “House of Cards,” a Marvel villain in “Ant-Man,” and a ‘nice-guy’ billionaire on “Billions.” But before all of that, he was a hard working actor getting small roles when he could. One of those blink-and-you’ll-miss-it parts was that of international arms dealer Martin Quinn on “NCIS.” Appearing in three episodes of season 4, Stoll played the ally of the season’s main baddie René Benoit. Unfortunately, there isn’t much more to say about Stoll’s stint on “NCIS” besides, “Whoa, was that Corey Stoll?!”

Though she only appeared in a single episode, it’s hard to beat the inimitable Lily Tomlin. Starting out as a stand-up comedian, Lily Tomlin has been a fixture of the stage and screen since the 1960s. On “NCIS” a Naval whistleblower is killed and the team is shocked to discover his accomplice is McGee’s grandmother, Penny. Lily Tomlin brings her typical comic panache to Penny in spades. Despite being known for her comedy, Tomlin’s performance is also quite touching. Penny’s interactions with McGee are some of his best character moments in the history of the show.

In the season before his debut as Uncle Cam in “Modern Family,” Eric Stonestreet played a killer on “NCIS.” In season six’s Christmas episode, Gibbs and the “NCIS” team receive the gift of a double homicide. During their investigation, they’re accosted by Uncle Cam: Mall Cop – that is to say, a doofy security guard named Harvey. As it turns out, Harvey wants a little Christmas bonus and kills a couple during a botched home invasion. When the NCIS crew finally catches up with him, our beloved Harvey tases McGee. Despite only having minutes of screen time, Eric Stonestreet delivers his usual comic gold.

Fans of “NCIS” know that Gibbs is famous for both his rules and his many lady-friends. One of the more interesting entries on the list is Dr. Samantha Ryan, played by Jamie Lee Curtis. In “NCIS” season 9, Curtis has a recurring role as the head of D.O.D. PsyOps. She spends her time poking around the NCIS team’s minds. Off-screen, Curtis and Harmon had a friendship that dated back to 2003’s “Freaky Friday.” Dr. Ryan and Gibbs spend five episodes playing mind games with one another; at one point, she even bugs his house. While the relationship had mixed reactions from fans, both actors remember her time on the show fondly.

“NCIS” is a show where the audience can expect twists and turns. Still, an episode starting off with a killer clown may be a bit of a shock. More shocking: the clown is played by Emmy and Golden Globe winner Sterling K. Brown. Three years before breaking out in “This Is Us,” Brown was a journeyman actor. In the season 11 episode “Devil’s Triad,” he murders a U.S. Marine. Later, he kidnaps Diane and Fornell’s daughter. Brown’s intensity and evocative eyes tend to get him cast as hyper-intelligent men. “NCIS” is no different, despite his character Elijah getting caught thanks to a teenager’s pink kitty watch.

Abigail Breslin has been a familiar face to audiences for most of her life. She got her first big role in the movie “Signs” before her sixth birthday. Not long after, she had a powerful guest spot on the season 2 premiere of “NCIS.” Breslin plays Sandy Watson, the blind piano prodigy and daughter of a Navy captain. Right at the start of the episode, she and her mom are kidnapped for ransom. Sandy is rescued and uses her incredible hearing to help the team save her mother. Breslin puts forward an emotionally charged performance, tugging at your heartstrings. Even as a little girl, she stands among the best actors to ever star on the show.

In the episode “The Namesake,” Gibbs and DiNozzo trace a murder weapon to a nearby pawn shop. There, Gibbs is stunned to see a WWII era Medal of Honor. After all - selling a Medal of Honor is a crime! Even more stunning: the recipient was his father’s best friend Leroy Jethro Moore. The producers wanted someone with gravitas for the part, so they cast Billy Dee Williams, and he definitely brought his characteristic charm and pathos to the role. Since Moore and Gibbs Sr. had a falling out years earlier, Gibbs gets the two men to bury the hatchet in between solving crimes. Williams returned in the season eleven finale for Gibbs’ father’s funeral.

Like others on this list, Zac Efron spent his childhood booking bit parts in movies and tv. Then, “High School Musical” premiered on January 20th, 2006 and catapulted him to stardom. Literally three days earlier, Efron guest starred in season three of “NCIS.” For most of the episode, the team searches for a kidnapped naval officer to protect nuclear secrets. Soon enough, they stumble across a pair of teens drinking in the woods with her stolen phone. Efron is on screen for barely two minutes in a fairly minor role. But three days between bit part and international star has to be an “NCIS” record.

Not long before becoming Netflix’s most famous telepath, Millie Bobby Brown was a terrifying “NCIS” guest star. In season 12, a ten-year-old Brown plays the daughter of a Navy captain, Rachel Barnes. Rachel starts off the episode as a sweet little girl who discovers her mother’s dead body. She seems traumatized and terrified in the aftermath. But by the episode’s end, Gibbs learns that sweet little Rachel is a stone-cold killer. Even at ten, Millie was an expert at tapping into darkness. It’s no wonder the Duffer Brothers cast her in “Stranger Things.” This is one “NCIS” performance liable to give you nightmares.

Are there any other stars who gave Gibbs and his team a run for their money? Sound off in the comments below?