How Emily Wickersham Felt About Replacing Cote De Pablo On NCIS

Emily Wickersham became an "NCIS" fan favorite playing Agent Eleanor Bishop on the CBS series. "NCIS" introduced Wickersham's character to fans shortly after Cote de Pablo's character Ziva David left the series in 2013, per Showbiz CheatSheet. Former "NCIS" star Cote de Pablo's role as Ziva remains one of the audience's top favorites on the popular series. The Chilean American actor was so popular with fans that CBS tried to convince de Pablo to stay, offering her the big bucks to no avail. Thus, Wickersham knowingly had big shoes to fill.

But "NCIS" executive producer and lead actor Mark Harmon gave Wickersham praise from the start. In 2013, Harmon told the New York Post, "I give her [Wickersham] a lot of credit because to come in here and bring something that nobody else is bringing, it's hard." According to Outsider, Wickersham was one of Wilmer Valderrama's favorite co-stars. Valderrama told the outlet in June 2021, "When you show up to work together it's just a joy." It sounds like Wickersham's peers welcomed the new member of the CBS series with open arms, so fans might be surprised to learn how the actor really felt about replacing de Pablo on "NCIS."

"NCIS" star Emily Wickersham was "intimated" when it came time to replace Cote de Pablo. "Obviously everyone loved Ziva," Wickersham confessed during an Instagram Live video (via Showbiz CheatSheet) with Wilmer Valderrama. "And I was so intimidated and nervous about what the fans were going to think about my character." Wickersham told the New York Post, "My first day here, I was really, really nervous and intimidated. When I get nervous, my heart races and I talk more than I usually do." The loyal fans of "NCIS" were very attached to Agent Ziva David and her romance with Anthony DiNozzo; some even thought Micheal Weatherly and de Pablo had a relationship in real life.

Adding to Wickersham's nerves about being on "NCIS" was the fact that she'd never held a gun before. In 2014, Wickersham told the New York Post, "I had never held a gun in my life, but my character becomes an agent so I had to know how to shoot." The "NCIS" newbie explained, "The tech adviser took me to the gun range, and I felt like the gun was going to turn around and shoot me, even though I was pointing it away ... and I went to Camp Pendelton — hardcore! — and met with real NCIS agents, which was pretty cool." Naturally, viewers grew to love Eleanor Bishop, and Wickersham played Bishop from 2013 to 2021.

Emily Wickersham made her exit from "NCIS" in 2021. After making Ellie Bishop a household name on the CBS series, Wickersham announced her departure from "NCIS" on Instagram, writing: "Hangin this hat and jacket up. What a great ride it's been. This cast, this crew, are top notch. I can't say enough kind words about this group that I've had the pleasure of working with for close to 8 years now and 172 episodes later." Wickersham continued, "This business is finicky and weird and consistency is a rarity. I've been lucky enough to be a part of a show where I got to show up and act and laugh and learn with wonderful people. A moment in time I surely won't forget. Thank you CBS and NCIS for including me in a part of television history. Time goes fast."

The beloved "NCIS" star seemed to leave on good terms, and some speculated that the storyline on the series may have mirrored Wickersham's real life. Her character Ellie Bishop filed for divorce after her husband, Jack Mallory (Jamie Bamber), cheated on her, per Express. However, it turned out that Wickersham and her husband Blake Hanley divorced while she was on "NCIS." The former star of the hit CBS series is very private and does not share personal details on social media. However, in 2020, Express reported Wickersham and Hanley split in 2018.