NCIS: Sydney: Who stars in the Australian spin-off?

NCIS is about to go Down Under. Paramount Australia has revealed the cast and first images for NCIS: Sydney, the first international spin-off of the hit franchise. Currently filming in Sydney, it’s expected to air later this year.

NCIS fans are, of course, used to spin-offs. The mega-hit show has spawned three so far, although only NCIS: Hawaii remains on the air now. The team has traveled to a few international locations for its work but given NCIS is a U.S. military branch, it seemed unlikely there could be a version overseas.

However, that’s changing as Paramount is working on NCIS: Sydney, set in the Australian city. This makes sense as Australia’s coasts are packed with various towns and crime from smuggling to possible terrorist attacks are commonplace. Thus, a special team is needed to handle it.

“We are thrilled to be expanding the NCIS franchise, one of our most powerful and iconic television I.P.s, across borders and into Australia,” Lindsey Martin, Head of International Co-Productions and Development at CBS Studios, said in a statement. “It is a joy to work with this talented NCIS: Sydney creative team, actors, and crew for our inaugural international original, and to be able to tell our exciting NCIS stories with a uniquely Australian sensibility.”

The series will stream/air exclusively in Australia on Paramount+ and Network 10, as the first-ever international edition of the hit global franchise. So far, there are no plans for the series to air in the U.S. It should be noted that since Australia isn’t bound by the Writers Guild of America, they can go ahead with writing and  filming amid the WGA strike.

The plotline reads that with crime in the area rising, a team of U.S. NCIS agents are tasked to aid the Australian police in a special task force.

"“As international tensions rise in the Indo-Pacific, a brilliant and eclectic team of U.S. NCIS Agents and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) are grafted into a multi-national task force, to keep naval crimes in check in the most contested patch of ocean on the planet.”"

Who stars in NCIS: Sydney?

The team is a mix of American and Australian actors to fit the international feel. It’s led by NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey, played by DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Olivia Swann. Her counterpart in the AFP is Sergeant Jim “J.D.” Dempsey, played by Todd Lasance (Spartacus: War of the Damned).

Also on the team are NCIS Special Agent DeShawn Jackson (Sean Sagar), AFP Liaison Officer Constable Evie Cooper (Tuuli Narkle), AFP Forensic Scientist Bluebird “Blue” Gleeson (Mavournee Hazel) and AFP Forensic Pathologist Dr. Roy Penrose (William McInnes).

With filming underway, NCIS: Sydney looks to continue the great franchise and perhaps open the door for future international versions and make NCIS a truly global phenomenon.

NCIS: Sydney airs on Paramount+ Australia later in 2023.