CBSIt's time to meet NCIS' new, potential leading lady!
Emily Wickersham is set to join the cast of the CBS hit drama's 11th season, E! News has confirmed. Wickersham, who is best known for her time on The Sopranos, will play Bishop, a new agent who is described as "bright, educated, athletic, attractive, fresh-faced, focused and somewhat socially awkward."
While she is only set to appear in three episodes, Wickersham could potentially fill the drama's leading lady void left by fan favorite Ziva after her portrayer Cote de Pablo announced she would be exiting the series. Wickersham will make her NCIS debut during November sweeps.
In addition to playing Rhiannon, A.J.'s girlfriend, on the final season of The Sopranos, Wickersham currently recurs on FX's The Bridge. TVLine first reported the news of her casting.
Last week, NCIS executive producer Gary Glasberg penned an open letter to the series' fans, addressing Pablo's exit and promising that Ziva's exit would not be a disappointment. "The amazing resolution you're going to see is pretty damn heart-wrenching and we're incredibly proud of it," he wrote. "Prepare yourselves for a moment in television history."
Glasberg also admitted that the star's decision to leave was "a shock" to him. "We need everyone to remember that, in addition to being a professional family, we're a television show," he said. "Change happens. Writers move on. Actors move on. Life, for some, interferes with work and then we rise to the occasion and adapt. Very often extraordinary creativity comes out of adjustment."
In July, Pablo shocked fans when she revealed she would be leaving the series after eight seasons.
"I've had eight great years with NCIS and Ziva David," she said in a statement. "I have huge respect and affection for Mark [Harmon], Gary [Glasberg], Michael [Weatherly], David, Rocky [Carroll], Pauley [Perrette], Brian [Dietzen], Sean [Murray], all of the team and CBS. I look forward to finishing Ziva's story."
NCIS' season premiere, titled "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot," airs Tuesday, Sept. 24 on CBS.