Deadline: NCIS Star Maria Bello Is Reportedly Leaving the Show in Season 18 — Here's Why

“NCIS” star, Maria Bello, is set to leave the set of the long-running crime show after three years of playing Jacqueline Sloane.

Maria Bello is reportedly getting ready to leave “NCIS” behind after she recently signed a contract with the Gersh Agency. In an exclusive report by Deadline, the 53-year-old actress, who has been appearing on the CBS series since its 15th season, will be done with it during its forthcoming 18th season.

With that in mind, Maria will be featured in just eight episodes of the show to give viewers and her beloved character, Dr. Jacqueline “Jack” Sloane, some closure.

Despite her many roles on TV, films, and off-Broadway, it wasn’t until Maria appeared in the 1996 spy show “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” that she began to gain acclaim.

ET Online further reported that just like hundreds of other productions, “NCIS” was forced to end its season as the novel coronavirus continued to spread. That abrupt end resulted in the 20th episode of the most recent season landing the spot of its finale.

The site also noted that just before the forceful conclusion, the procedural TV series was only one episode away from hitting the 400th-hour milestone. With Maria’s exit becoming more eminent, fans have begun to ask what the cards hold for her co-star, Mark Harmon’s character, Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

TV Insider highlighted that Jack and Leroy have spent the last few seasons “dancing around each other.” During a recent interview, the show’s executive producer, Frank Cardea, told the outlet that Gibbs “has things to work on with himself before he’s ready to work on a relationship.”

It would be recalled that Maria began her acting career after she appeared in small off-Broadway plays, such as “Small Town Gals With Big Problems,” “The Killer Inside Me,” and “Urban Planning.”

According to her IMDb page, the actress later held guest-star titles when she acted in “Nowhere Man,” “Misery Loves Company,” “The Commish,” and “Due South.”

Despite her many roles on TV, films, and off-Broadway, it wasn’t until Maria appeared in the 1996 spy show “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” that she began to gain acclaim.

The next role Maria landed was as Dr. Anna Del Amico in the 1994 drama, “ER.” The actress has continued to show her prowess since then, and fans cannot wait to see where her new agency will take her.