Rocky Carroll is the third-longest-running actor at the moment nonetheless on NCIS, following behind Sean Murray and Brian Dietzen. Launched in the midst of NCIS Season 5 and taking on because the company’s director on the finish of the season, his character, Leon Vance, has remained the favored CBS present’s primary authority determine for everything of that point. So with NCIS Season 22, which is airing now on the 2025 TV schedule, marking Carroll’s 18th season on the present, Carroll mentioned with CinemaBlend what makes him really feel “excited” about nonetheless contributing to the collection.
Throughout an interview went over his directorial work on “Baker’s Males,” how Vance feels about Deputy Director LaRoche and the way the door’s been left open for Vance’s girlfriend to return sometime, I additionally wished to study from Rocky Carroll what retains him round on NCIS. He began off by telling me:
It’s such an anomaly, particularly in my business, to work on one present, for me virtually 20 years now. And lots of these guys, particularly on the crew, they began collectively on JAG, so they have greater than 20 years collectively. For me, and I simply discovered this out as a result of I wasn’t positive when individuals say, ‘Hey, what season did you begin directing?’ And I am like, ‘I do not know, typically all of them form of run collectively.’ However since season 12, now that I have been engaged on each side of the digital camera, I’ve very distinctive relationships not solely with the forged, but additionally with the crew.
Sure, in case any of you had forgotten, NCIS spun out of JAG, which ran from 1995 to 2005 and, like all the NCIS franchise, may be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription. So it’s outstanding that there are crew members who’ve far surpassed working on this procedural world than Rocky Carroll, however that’s to not undersell what he’s completed on this present. Along with his lengthy tenure as Leon Vance, “Baker’s Man” marked his twenty fifth time directing on NCIS, which has allowed him to change into well-acquainted with the behind-the-scenes expertise. He continued:
While you’re an actor on a collection, there’s so many individuals behind the scenes, post-production, results, wardrobe, all of the individuals… you recognize them since you see them, however you do not actually see what they do day in and time out. I’ve the very uncommon pleasure of having the ability to not solely work with the blokes in entrance of the digital camera, but additionally the blokes behind the digital camera.
Rocky Carroll started directing on NCIS with the Season 12 episode “We Construct, We Combat,” and that’s allowed him to diversify his work, contributing each on and off digital camera. He capped off this portion of our dialog by sharing he has one other episode developing in Season 22 the place he’ll be again on the helm:
So I do know the blokes within the artwork division. I do know the blokes in postproduction. I do know the blokes in modifying personally, as a result of I get to work with all of them. So I feel that for me is the largest pleasure about nonetheless doing this… Once I return to Santa Clarita on Monday, I am going again as a director, and I will not be working in entrance of the digital camera. I will be spending six hours of that day going to division conferences and placing collectively the following episode. So that is the factor that retains me going and makes me really feel enthusiastic about doing this job.
Rocky Carroll has been in a position to do loads with Leon Vance through the years, from forging a powerful bond with Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs via tragedy, to establishing a special form of dynamic with Gary Cole’s Alden Parker after reaching a mentally more healthy place in his life. However the performing is simply a part of the equation for Carroll on NCIS, as he’s additionally loved directing and collaborating with individuals off digital camera. It’s good to see this mix has given him such achievement and the willingness to proceed lending his abilities to probably the most common broadcast TV applications.
New episodes of NCIS air Mondays at 9 pm ET on CBS. We must always study within the coming months if Season 23 is going on or not, but when it does, likelihood is robust we are able to anticipate Rocky Carroll to maintain his spectacular streak going.