The world of police procedurals is utterly overstuffed, but even among the stacked competition, NCIS stands out.
Its prominence, even in the face of so many competitors, is due to a few factors. NCIS boasts impressive staying power — with a full 20 seasons under its belt — and an absolutely stacked cast, led — for nearly 20 years — by Mark Harmon’s Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
Alongside Harmon, a number of big names have enjoyed cameos and major roles across NCIS’s two decades on the air. Some of the show’s stars, like David McCallum and Pauley Perrette, have been there since the very start, but recent seasons of the longstanding series have seem those OG cast members gradually depart. In the show’s latest season, few of those original members remain, but a slew of fresh-faced and exciting new characters swept in to replace them. We might not know the likes of Gage Winchester nearly as well as we knew Leroy Jethro Gibbs, but he’s still a favorite among the show’s fans.
The man behind Gage Winchester
Gage Winchester made his NCIS debut in 2022, brought to life by television staple Caleb Alexander Smith. Smith’s previous roles — in shows like Modern Family, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Grey’s Anatomy —were by and large relatively brief and in the background, gracing audiences with the star’s chiseled good looks for only an episode or two before pivoting to the next storyline. That trend, unfortunately, continued with NCIS; Smith’s Gabe Winchester benefitted from a memorable storyline, but one that was covered — thus far, at least — in far too brief a time. His presence as an ex of Jessica Knight, one of the show’s leads, does present potential for future appearances, but none are confirmed just yet.
Even if Smith never returns to NCIS, he clearly had an impact on the show’s fans. If you were among those struck by Smith’s performance — or jawline — you can catch him in various episodes of other televised favorites, from Modern Family and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, to The Catch.