The NCIS franchise is stepping out of the U.S. for the very first time. The destination? Australia.
The announcement came early last year, to the collective amusement of the franchise’s fans. Titled NCIS: Sydney, this spin-off will focus on fictional criminal cases taking place in the Land Down Under, and naturally, this means that Aussie actors will be getting their chance to shine.
Despite how skeptical some might be about this spin-off’s success, others are excited to give it a chance and are hungry for details. At the time of writing, the show is still in production, and while details about it are still scarce, the main cast has already been revealed. You better get used to these faces, because you’ll see them a lot from now on. (Although you may know some of them already.)
Olivia Swann
Olivia Swann will star in NCIS: Sydney as Special Agent Michelle Mackey. While she doesn’t have that many acting credits to her name yet, Swann is widely recognized in the DC fandom for her role in the CW’s Legends of Tomorrow. Introduced in the series’ fourth season, the actress brought the comic book character Astra Logue to life between 2019 and 2022.
Swann has also been involved in a couple of other projects, namely, the TV show Doctors, where she played Kárinna Hailes, and the short Together, Alone, as the character May. Other than NCIS: Sydney, Swann fans will also be able to see her in the upcoming The River Wild remake.
Todd Lasance
Todd Lasance has been acting since 2006 when he landed his first TV role as Chris in the Australian series Blue Water High. However, it wasn’t until a year later that he found his breakout role, playing Aden Jefferies in Home and Away. Throughout the years, Lasance has had constant work, making appearances in several TV series and films, including Spartacus: War of the Damned as Julius Caesar, The Vampire Diaries as Julian, and The Flash as Edward Clariss. In NCIS: Sydney, Lasance will play the role of Sergeant Jim “JD” Dempsey.
Tuuli Narkle
Joining the main cast is also Tuuli Narkle, as the AFP Liaison Officer Constable Evie Cooper. Before making appearances on the small screen, the Australian actress dedicated herself to bringing characters to the stage, landing parts such as Ruby in Stolen, Helen in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and Evonne Goolagong Cawley in Sunshine Super Girl. In 2021, though, Narkle turned to the TV business, and so far has been involved in All My Friends are Racist, where she played Belle/Nicole, Bad Behaviour, in the role of Miss Lacey, and Mystery Road: Origin, as Mary.
Sean Sagar
Sean Sagar will be taking on the role of Special Agent DeShawn Jackson in the show. The actor made his small screen debut on the 2011 Netflix series Top Boy, where he played Tareek. After that, he made appearances in a fair share of TV shows, shorts, and feature-length films, including Guy Richie’s The Covenant, where he played Charlie “Jizzy” Crow, Fate: The Winx Saga, as Marco, Our Girl, in the role of Jaiden “Monk” Montgomery, The Gentlement, as Mal, and Ill Manors, as Freddie.
Mavournee Hazel
Mavournee Hazel will be the AFP Forensic Scientist Bluebird “Blue” Gleeson in NCIS: Sydney. Her acting career began in 2014 when Hazel was cast as Emma in the children’s adventure show Sam Fox: Extreme Adventures. From that point on, the actress made a name for herself by appearing in several other TV shows and a short film. Some of her best-known roles include Gemma in Shantaram and Piper Willis in Neighbours, Neighbours: Pipe Up, Neighbours: Summer Stories, and Neighbours vs. Time Travel.
William McInnes
Playing AFP Forensic Pathologist Dr. Roy Penrose in NCIS: Sydney, William McInnes is the most seasoned member of the cast, having been acting professionally for over three decades. With a laundry list of acting credits, McInnes become best known for his roles as Nick in Look Both Ways and Max Connors in SeaChange. If you believe this is the actor’s first time in a police drama, though, think again. McInnes was part of the main cast of the Australian show Blue Heelers for five seasons, playing the role of Sergeant Nick Schultz. With such an extensive repertoire, the actor is sure to impress in the NCIS spin-off.
NCIS: Sydney is expected to premiere sometime in 2023 on Paramount Plus and Network 10.
