Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Sasha Alexander on NCIS

Why Kate Actor Sasha Alexander Left NCIS

NCIS will premiere its 21st season in 2024. As such, cast turnover is certainly understandable. Very few actors want to stick around for 20+ seasons of any show, as enjoyable as a character might be.

Recommended Videos

But one of the cast’s exits fans are still talking about, even though it happened very early on in the show’s run, is that of Caitlin “Kate” Todd. So, why did Kate actor Sasha Alexander leave NCIS?

Why Kate Actor Sasha Alexander Left NCIS

Kate looking angry in NCIS. This image is part of an article about why Kate actor Sasha Alexander left NCIS.

In a 2012 interview with TV Guide, Alexander discussed the grueling filming schedule for NCIS, telling the magazine that “on a network show, you make 24 episodes a year — that’s 10½ months a year, 17 hours a day.” Alexander only ended up appearing on 49 episodes of NCIS, but that ended up being enough for her on that schedule. She went on to add in the same interview that she wouldn’t be where she is, married, with kids, and creatively satisfied if she’d stayed on the network procedural.

Other actors have not been as clear as Alexander about their reasons for departing, but the filming schedule and the number of episodes per season have played a part in the multiple cast departures NCIS has had during the years. Alexander was the first of the original cast to depart the show, but going into Season 21, no member of the original cast remains on the show.

David McCallum, who played Donald “Ducky” Mallard, passed away in 2023. Mark Harmon, meanwhile, left the show after having played Leroy Gibbs regularly for 19 seasons.

How Did Caitlin “Kate” Todd Die?

Kate holding a gun in NCIS. This image is part of an article about why Kate actor Sasha Alexander left NCIS.

Other NCIS characters – like the beloved Ziva David and her on-screen love interest, Tony DiNozzo – have been written off in a way that has allowed a way back for the characters, but that was not the case with Sasha Alexander’s Kate Todd. Instead, Kate is shot in the head by sniper and Mossad double agent Ari Haswari in the Season 2 finale, titled “Twilight.”

Worst of all, Kate’s death isn’t even about Kate, not really. Later, in the Season 3 episode titled “Kill Ari,” it is revealed that Haswari killed Kate because he wanted to cause Gibbs, the Special Agent in Charge of the NCIS Major Case Response Team and Kate’s boss, pain. So, Kate’s death becomes just another thing the show milks as a storytelling device for Gibbs’ manpain.

That was probably not a consideration for Alexander at the time of her departure, but it probably helps cement how right the decision was. Between the grueling schedule and the fact that Kate was merely a vehicle for a male character, what was the point of staying?


The Escapist is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Lissete Lanuza
Lissete Lanuza
Lizzie has been covering entertainment for almost a decade. She's a Rotten Tomatoes approved critic and a TCA member. She can also be found covering the sports beat, and being very loud about her opinions. She hates the color yellow and loves coffee ice cream. You can find her on Twitter @lizziethat.