Caitlin Todd left NCIS because she didn’t have the stamina to continue with the show. Todd (Sasha Alexander) was one of the first special agents on the NCIS team.
As a former Secret Service Agent on board Air Force One, she was an expert psychological profiler who was frequently surprised by NCIS’ shirking of the rules. Todd’s exit from NCIS at the end of season 2 was one of the most shocking in the history of the series, as she was shot in the head by the Mossad double-agent and series antagonist Ari Haswari right in front of her team. Alexander was initially signed on to play Todd for a six-season stint.
However, she left the series as a regular character at the end of NCIS season 2. Then-showrunner Donald Bellisario cited that Alexander did not have the stamina to meet the filming demands of a 24-episode season, which Alexander told TV Guidespanned “10 1/2 months a year, 17 hours a day.”
After leaving NCIS, Alexander ended up in another television series, Rizzoli & Isles, where she played one of the main characters, Dr. Maura Isles.
She was able to withstand the schedule this time, lasting for all seven seasons of the series, finishing up her stint in 2016. Alexander doesn’t regret her decision to leave the hit series.
“I really firmly believe in my heart that I would not be where I am today — happily married, with two kids, doing things creatively that I want — if I had stayed.”Ziva David – Cote De Pablo
Ziva David left NCIS because she felt her character wasn’t written well anymore. Israeli Mossad officer Special Agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) was brought in to take the place of the recently deceased Agent Todd. Starting as a Liason Officer, David eventually resigned from Mossad to become a full-time member of the NCIS team alongside DiNozzo and McGee. Ziva’s romance with fellow agent Tony was one of the series’ greatest relationship arcs, culminating in the pair welcoming a daughter, Tali David-DiNozzo.
After the entire team resigned from NCIS in order to protect their team leader in NCIS season 1, David opted to return to her home country of Israel when her colleagues returned to their positions. Though viewers — and her team members — were led to believe that David died in an attack on her farmhouse in season 13, it was later revealed that Ziva had faked her death to go deep undercover and eliminate the criminals that had attacked her and her family. After the threat was eliminated, Ziva was able to retire to Paris in NCIS with her love and her daughter.
Cote de Pablo had a long run as Ziva David on NCIS, and leaving the series was not an easy decision for her. Despite being offered even more money to stay on, de Pablo chose to maintain David’s integrity. De Pablo ultimately cited that the scripts were no longer good enough for her character, revealing in a 2016 Q&A that her character “wasn’t being treated with the respect she deserved,” and that she told the show “until someone can write something really fantastic for Ziva I won’t come back” (via Hello Magazine). De Pablo has done almost no acting work since leaving NCIS, with only five credits since her departure, and nothing since her short return.dony DiNozzo – Michael Weatherly
Tony left NCIS because he was simply tired of the show. Tony DiNozzo was one of the defining members of the NCIS team. Starting alongside Gibbs from the beginning, Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo was known for his charm, humor, and playboy behavior. Just when it seemed like nothing could tear DiNozzo from his position, love ultimately won out. DiNozzo originally left to take care of his daughter after Ziva’s “death,” but his story didn’t end there. Having tracked down Ziva during her supposed death, DiNozzo was ready to settle down and raise their daughter in Paris once the dust had cleared.
Michael Weatherly was a staple on NCIS for 13 seasons — and, after such a long run, the actor was simply burnt out by NCIS. Weatherly was tired after so many demanding seasons, telling Hollywood Reporterthat he was “ready for a new challenge.” He also greatly missed the on-screen chemistry between his character and Ziva David, who had already taken her leave. However, Weatherly’s real reason for leaving was getting to star in his own show, as he took on the lead in Bull in 2015 and remained there until the show ended in 2022.
