Although Diany Rodriguez has been playing the younger Vera Strickland since NCIS: Origins premiered on CBS last year, 12 years passed between when Roma Maffia originated the role on NCIS, then returned to it. Present day Vera appeared during the flagship show’s half of the crossover with Origins on the 2025 TV schedule earlier this week, as she worked the original case with Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Mike Franks in 1992 that was reopened three decades later. Maffia talked with CinemaBlend about what it was like coming back to NCIS after so long away, as well as if she’d want to reprise Vera again.
Vera was introduced in the NCIS Season 11 episode “Under the Radar,” i.e. the one that aired after Cote de Pablo made her final appearance as Ziva David as a series regular. A lot has changed on NCIS since then, including Roma Maffia performing opposite all-new faces with the exception of Sean Murray. But the actress had a great time working on NCIS this time around as well, telling me:
