NCIS fans are debating whether or not Vanessa Lachey was the right choice to lead the new spinoff series, NCIS: Hawai’i. The show has produced multiple spinoff series over the years. NCIS: New Orleans lasted for seven seasons before its cancellation earlier this year while NCIS: Los Angeles is still going strong, entering its 13th season this October.
NCIS: Hawai’i is premiering next week on Monday, September 20th on CBS. Some fans have reservations about Vanessa Lachey as a casting choice, but a lot of others are all for it.
One ‘NCIS’ Fan is Worried About Vanessa Lachey’s Prior Acting Experience
A fan brought their concerns to a Reddit thread, pondering why Vanessa Lachey, who has a lot of known experience in reality TV hosting, is playing the lead in a drama.
“Is anyone else confused as to why she got the NCIS: Hawaii gig? To my knowledge, she was a host or reality star so her getting this LEAD role was perplexing especially from such a respected franchise. I thought that it would go to Marisol Nichols (Zoe) or Jennifer Esposito who had previous roles on the mothership. Thoughts?” The fan wrote.
People were quick to point out that resume doesn’t always equal talent. Just because it’s an NCIS series, that doesn’t mean it has to borrow from the flagship show for parts. In fact, each NCIS spinoff series has brought in new actors to lead.
“She hasn’t done a lot of action/drama stuff, but the producers of showrunners thought she was talented enough to do it,” someone pointed out. “I think she should get at least a few episodes in before people dump on her. Like others have said, it can help if her classmates are good as well. I’m looking forward to it, just to see how the cast gels.”
The Flagship Show Didn’t Necessairly Hire Based on Experience
Another Reddit user echoed this sentiment and pointed out an interesting point about NCIS.
“When NCIS first aired, other than Mark Harmon, no one was well known. To credit Vanessa, IMDb has her credited on 25 films/tv shows,” they pointed out. So while some may be concerned about her resume, NCIS has proven in the past that a lack of experience doesn’t always equal a lack of talent.
Vanessa Lachey is in with a great cast, too. With Jason Antoon, Yasmin Al Bustami, Noah Mills, and Tori Anderson, there’s a healthy mix of experienced actors and newbies. If behind-the-scenes clips and pictures are anything to go by, it looks like they’re all having a great time on set.
While some of those shows are reality and comedy based, plenty of actors have done a genre switch-up over the years. Plus, production clearly saw something in her during the audition process. Hopefully, fans’ fears will be put to rest soon. The show airs on September 20th after the season premiere of NCIS season 19.
