Lauren Holly’s stint as Jenny Shepard on “NCIS” lasted longer than initially planned, though her departure happened rather suddenly. The actor played special agent Jenny Shepard on the police procedural from Season 3 to Season 5, which aired from 2005 to 2008. After three seasons as an “NCIS” series regular, Holly decided to move on.
In Season 5, Episode 18, Shepard died from a gunshot wound — a development that shocked audiences when it occurred. Holly later released a statement on her website detailing the reasons behind her exit from “NCIS.” She first recalled landing the role as a guest star for six episodes before co-creator and then-showrunner Donald P. Bellisario gave her a longer arc on the show. At first, Holly loved her “NCIS” gig, but as time went on, she had a change of heart.
According to Holly, living away from her husband and two young children was a challenge, thus they all moved from Chicago to Los Angeles when she returned for “NCIS” Season 4. Still, problems eventually arose. “I enjoyed being on the show, and began some wonderful friendships,” Holly wrote. “I was saddened that Don Bellisario was forced out, and I missed him a lot. To be honest, now that the work bug had bitten me again, I got bored with my part of the ‘Director.’ Then the decision was made to kill me, and boy did they. About five different ways!”
Lauren Holly was content with leaving NCIS
To Lauren Holly’s disappointment, Donald P. Bellisario left “NCIS” after Season 4 due to creative differences with star Mark Harmon. As she referenced in her statement, Jenny Shepard was promoted to NCIS director soon after her introduction in Season 3. With little change in Holly’s role on “NCIS” on top of Bellisario’s absence, her exit was perhaps inevitable.
At the time, Holly took the opportunity to express her gratitude for her experience on “NCIS” and goodwill toward those she worked alongside. “I wish them all success,” Holly concluded in her statement. “The show continues to be watched by millions. A lot of people depend on it for their families. For that, I hope it continues forever. It probably will. I think of them all often.”
Years later, when asked if she regrets leaving “NCIS,” Holly gave a definitive response. “No. I haven’t, mainly because, to be honest, when it started, I was just supposed to do six episodes,” she told Smashing Interviews Magazine in 2016. “The next thing I knew, I was there, and I did 80-something episodes. It was always meant to be a short-term thing, so it ended up being kind of a gift. It was kind of perfect.” Even though many “NCIS” fans missed Shepard after her death, it’s reassuring to know that Holly was happy with her decision to end her time on the show.