NCIS: Hawaii: Vanessa Lachey set to headline CBS spinoff

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

NCIS: Hawaii has found its lead! The CBS drama series, which is a spinoff of the popular NCIS franchise, will be headlined by Vanessa Lachey. The latest installment of the franchise will be the first to feature a female character at the center.

Also joining the cast are Yasmine Al-Bustami and Jason Antoon. The duo will join Lachey as series regulars on the show which recently received a straight-to-series order for next season on the network. NCIS: Hawaii will join its parent series, NCIS, and fellow spinoff, NCIS: Los Angeles, as the latest edition of the franchise after seeing NCIS: New Orleans getting canceled after seven seasons. NCIS will be heading into its nineteenth season while NCIS: Los Angeles is headed into season 13.

NCIS: Hawaii was created and executive produced by NCIS: New Orleans executive producers/showrunner Christopher Silber and Jan Nash as well as SEAL Team writer-producer Matt Bosack. The spinoff will follow Jane Tennant (Lachey), the first female Special Agent in Charge of NCIS Pearl Harbor, and her team as they balance duty to family and country while investigating high-stakes crimes involving military personnel, national security, and mysteries on the island itself.

Lachey's Jane Tennant is described "as diplomatic as she is hard-charging. A woman in a male-dominated profession, she's thrived in a system that's pushed back every step of the way through equal parts confidence and strategy. But Tennant is more than just a job and a title. She's a mother raising her kids mostly on her own. Like any parent who loves their career and their family – she's a master juggler – balancing the duty to both her children and her country."

Al-Bustami will be playing Lucy while Antoon is set to play Ernie. Lucy is described as "confident in the way that reflects a lifetime of achievement, Lucy is the junior member of Tennant's NCIS team. Eager to be the first one to find that key piece of evidence, create a workaround in the bureaucracy, or tackle a suspect down a flight of stairs." Antoon's Ernie is described as "NCIS's Cyber Intelligence Specialist. Ernie is a polyglot with a keen mind for technology, history, literature, and all things Hawaiian. He's an essential component of the team, who can trace an anonymous IP address or profile a suspect using only their social media footprint. Ernie doesn't have family on the island so he's invited himself to join his Team's families."

Lachey has a previous relationship with CBS having guest-starred on Hawaii Five-0. She has currently been recurring on the freshman Fox comedy series Call Me Kat and her other series acting credits include BH90210 and NBC's Truth Be Told.

Will YOU be watching NCIS: Hawaii?