Cote de Pablo with Shohreh Aghdashloo.
Gary Glasberg, executive producer of “NCIS,” says he has had to field actors’ requests to do guest spots.
“With the success of the show, there are people we didn’t think we could get who turn out to be tremendous fans. It’s a very comfortable place to work. Word has gotten out that that’s the case,” he says.
“Michael Weatherly ran in to Sara Silverman in the supermarket,” says Glasberg, who once delivered The Post as a teenager on his Long Island paper route. “She ran up to him in the aisle and told how much she loved the show. We would love to have her join us at some point.”
One of the stars who did come on was Bob Newhart, who played a former NCIS medical examiner who returned to his old job and discovered that he had Alzheimer’s.
“Every Tuesday night Bob and his wife and some friends get together for dinner — and they have to be home by 8 p.m.,” Glasberg says. “Mrs. Newhart wants to watch the show.”
Harmon says that the actors are drawn to the series because of its ratings.
“They’re attracted by 20 million viewers,” he says. “We’ve had Charlie Durning, Gena Rowlands, Hal Holbrook, Cheryl Ladd.”
Lily Tomlin did a guest spot as the grandmother of Special Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) who had a connection to a case.
“It’s fun to toss off a remark off Lily,” Harmon says. “She’s a gamer. Does her homework.”
This season had an especially strong appearance by Shohreh Aghdashloo, who played a Lebanese refugee involved in a joint NCIS/Coast Guard investigation.
“She was fantastic. The chemistry she found with Cote de Pablo just worked out beautifully,” Glasberg says.
“I went up to Shohreh at a red-carpet event and said, ‘I am a huge fan. You remind me of somebody in my family.’ I talked to the producers of our show and I pitched her,” says de Pablo, who plays Ziva David.
Glasberg reveals that Jamie Lee Curtis is coming on in February as a possible love interest for Harmon’s character.
“I think there are going to be some sparks,” he says. “It’s been a few seasons since Gibbs has even had even a relationship. We thought it was time to revisit.” — RR