NCIS On-Screen Romance Eventually Led to a Real-Life Marriage (In a Way)

CBS’ long-standing franchise NCIS has spent enough time on the screens to follow all of its characters’ ups and downs throughout years seeing them get closer to each other not only in its shows, but also in real life.

Driven by the idea of expanding the original series' universe with more departments located in different parts of the country, NCIS got itself several more spinoffs introducing new characters who would later on resolve their job issues and personal dramas somewhere far away from the head office in Washington, D.C.

Though at some point it was pretty hard for the show to get some kind of compelling match for the audience to keep an eye on, one of the spinoffs’ major character change came as a crucial decision not only for the storyline, but for the the actors as well.

Revisiting NCIS: Los Angeles’ most memorable moments during a talk with Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch’s hosts Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo, the spinoff’s actress Daniela Ruah, who portrayed Kensi Blye for the years that the show aired, opened up about a big change she had to come up with for her character once Eric Christian Olsen’s Marty Deeks came around.

Both characters eventually ended up developing romantic feelings for each other and becoming a couple, but before that Kensi Blye had to become a completely different person for her relationships with Marty to work.

According to Ruah, the fact that her character was described as a strong, independent and powerful woman made her feel like “it affected every part of my delivery, every part of my body language,” yet she wouldn’t be able to keep going this way since Eric Christian Olsen’s character would be neglected by the audience.

The actress explained that “he was the funny guy, and he would improv, and he would try to make me laugh, and I was still living in that ‘I don't laugh at silly things’ persona”. She then had to have a serious talk with the show’s execs who eventually persuaded her to let Kensi treat Marty better.

As the actress recalled, NCIS: Los Angeles’ producers were convinced that “If you react the way you're reacting to Deeks, the audience is not going to like him, and you're kind of an asshole… even if you don't like him to his face if you just crack a smile when he walks away, now the audience is with you, and they're with him, and now we're starting to create something’”.

Ruah continued saying that such a change of attitude of her character towards Marty eventually did the trick and softened Kensi, making it possible for their romance to go further.

Additionally, Eric Christian Olsen being cast for the spinoff came as some kind of a destiny sign for Ruah herself as she later on met Olsen’s brother who she has been married to for years now.

Source: Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch