NCIS taps Westworld actor as one character's dad

NCIS fans are finally going to see how Jessica Knight ended up the way she did when they meet her dad. Who's been cast in the role, and when do they appear?

One of the best parts of NCIS's recent seasons has been the romance between Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) and medical examiner Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen). The unlikely couple has grown closer from an office affair to admitting love for each other. Knight (who openly admits she's not good with kids) has even gotten close with Jimmy's daughter.

While Gibbs may have frowned on an office romance, the current bosses are more open about it. The pair have worked well before as we've gotten more insight into Jessica's life. A memorable Thanksgiving episode had her enduring an awkward dinner with her sister, whose boyfriend wanted to kill Jessica for killing his brother in a raid. 

As fans await Season 21, showrunner Steven D. Binder shared with TVLine how an upcoming episode puts Jessica in a bind when her dad shows up.

"Knight has her own special family drama to deal with when her father shows up during a case and has some ideas about what his daughter should be doing with her life. And, of course, there's poor Jimmy Palmer, stuck exactly where nobody would ever want to be: aka in the middle of a Knight family feud."

So, who will be the man playing Jessica's dad?

Who plays Jessica's dad on NCIS?

TVLine confirmed that Russell Wong will play Jessica's father. The actor is notable as one of the first Chinese-American actors to lead a primetime series with the 1995 syndicated series Vanishing Son. He's since added on scores of TV credits like Blash Sash, The Oath, Westworld, and most recently, The Brother Sun.

Wong does have experience with the NCIS franchise, as he played an officer on a 2015 episode of NCIS: New Orleans. He's a good choice to play Knight's dad, showing his grit and likely how he thinks Jessica is wasting her potential in NCIS rather than a bigger career. 

So, with a top actor coming in, it looks like we're in for some fun with the Knight family on NCIS and spark up Season 21 well.

NCIS Season 21 premieres on Monday, Feb. 12 at 9/8c on CBS. Catch up the following day on Paramount+.