NCIS Origins cast: Who will play young Agent Vera Strickland?

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for NCIS. 

NCIS Origins will tell the tale of Agent Vera Strickland for the first time, but who will play her in the prequel? 

The upcoming CBS spin-off is going to focus on the early days of Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ (played by Mark Harmon) career in the 1990s as an NIS agent at the Camp Pendleton office. 

While actor Austin Stowell has been cast as the man himself, he will be joined by various other younger versions of well-established characters like Kyle Schmid as Mike Franks. 

Lifelong NCIS fans will remember the name Agent Vera Strickland as she used to work with Gibbs, despite only appearing in one episode, season 11, episode three, Under the Radar. 

Nevertheless, it was clear from their encounters that Vera and Gibbs knew each other pretty well with a shared history.

Read more: NCIS’ Leon Vance steals one habit from ‘immortalised’ real-life NCIS agent

Who will play young Agent Vera Strickland in NCIS Origins?

NCIS Origins has cast actress Diany Rodriguez in the role of Agent Vera Strickland, who was originally portrayed by Roma Maffia. 

She is probably best known for playing Weecha Xiu, Raymond Reddington’s (James Spader) new bodyguard in the later series of The Blacklist on NBC. 

Apart from this, she has also had roles in The Outsider, Dynasty, New Amsterdam, The Purge, Bull, FBI: Most Wanted and The Equalizer. 

And going by her character description, Vera isn’t someone that you should mess with.

Vera, according to Deadline, is a “no-nonsense, sharp-witted Brooklynite who’s tough as nails and never minces words. 

“She’s spent her entire career being underestimated by misogynistic morons (as she calls them), but if it’s a fight those good ol’ boys are looking for, then it’s a fight they’re going to get.”

Vera is also the partner of Mike Franks, a dynamic that wasn’t played out in NCIS so fans will be interested to see what their working relationship was like. 

A new character who will be joining the rest of the team has also recently been announced.

The Chi actress Tyla Abercrumbie is set to portray field operation support officer Mary Jo in NCIS Origins. 

Her character description states that she is a  “product of her time and the lifeblood of the Camp Pendleton office.”

“With all the acronyms floating around the agency, this mama bear has wryly dubbed herself ‘HSIC’: Head Secretary in Charge. 

“If you want to know where the bodies are buried, Mary Jo’s the one to ask.”

NCIS Origins is expected to come out later this year on CBS.