Lauren Holly's Story — Her Role as Jenny Shepard on NCIS

Lauren Holly's official website offers news, exclusive photos, and up-to-the-minute information on the actress's latest projects. Here's a story she posted about her experience as Jenny Shepard on NCIS:

 
 ...I was living in a Chicago suburb raising my three boys when I got the call about being on the show.  It was a guest-starring arc that would be about six episodes. The role was of the new Director of the agency, and things were made complicated because she had a ´past’ with the lead agent, Jethro , played by Mark Harmon.

Getting the role

The funny thing was, I knew of the show from a couple of years before. Mark and I had spent a year together on  ”Chicago Hope,” and so became acquaintances from work. As I understood it, they were having some trouble casting the girl who would be one of the agents on the show and Mark thought I might fit the bill. He faxed me a lot of info on the real agency on which the show was based and helped facilitate a meeting between myself and the creator, Don Bellisario. That was an exciting meeting for me to have. He had been involved in some of the greatest television - “Rockford Files,” “Magnum PI,” etc. We had a great chat, and I tried to make him love me, but alas - he did not. 

He was thinking about a girl named Sasha Alexander, who was about to get the approval from CBS to be a part of the show. At the time I wasn‘t too sad. I had a toddler and a new baby and the workload would have probably been too much. My husband got a job offer, and off we went to the Midwest.

So I get the call, followed by a couple of DVDs. I was mildly intrigued. On the positive side - I was beginning to miss working, I knew Mark, and working for Don had to be an experience. On the other hand, it was just another procedural, and tied to Don’s most recent show, ‘JAG’- a show that had never interested me. So I watched the DVDs and found that I REALLY enjoyed the supporting characters. Maybe Don would give me that sort of material…

It started out really well

I loved being back at work, the cast totally embraced me. Sasha was filming her final episodes, and kept wishing me luck (?! ). Cote [de Pablo] was a three episode tryout to see if she would get the regular gig. Looking back, I wonder if all was not as it appeared…I started commuting between Chicago and LA, but that was hard, I missed my family! I was happy to be a minor character because that meant I could be with them more. When they asked me back for the second season, the decision was made to move my family back to California with me.

And so we were living back in Los Angeles for two years. I enjoyed being on the show, and began some wonderful friendships. I was saddened that Don Bellisario was forced out, and I missed him a lot. To be honest, now that the work bug had bitten me again, I got bored with my part of the “Director.” Then the decision was made to kill me, and boy did they. About five different ways!

I wish them all success. The show continues to be watched by millions. A lot of people depend on it for their families. For that, I hope it continues forever. It probably will. I think of them all often.

Source: LaurenHolly.com