NCIS: Who Played Manheim Gold & What Is His Connection To The Big Bang Theory?

With a couple of decades worth of stories already under its belt, CBS's long-running military procedural "NCIS" has seen more than its fair share of colorful characters come and go. But in terms of color, few characters brought as much to the series' oft black-and-white narrative realm as rock and roll icon Manheim Gold. 

The affable, aging rocker entered the orbit of Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and the NCIS team during the series' Season 11 episode "Rock and a Hard Place," doing so as the gang investigated a backstage explosion at a military benefit concert headlined by Gold. When the team comes to believe Gold is being targeted, he goes into protective custody with Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. The pseudo odd-couple pairing provides its share of comic relief throughout, with Keith Carradine peppering Gold with a blend of gruff, easy-going charm, and unabashedly sincere stoicism.

That's sort of become Carradine's M.O. over the years. Fans of another CBS hit, "The Big Bang Theory" can no doubt attest the actor brought the same savvy mix to his role of Penny's adoring father Wyatt, making five memorable appearances on the show between Seasons 4 and 12. And in case you didn't know, he's done just that in dozens of other notable projects in his decades-long career.  

If the name Carradine sounds familiar to you, it's because Keith Carradine is not the only actor in Hollywood to use the name over the years. In fact, the Carradine's have become a bit of a low-key dynasty, with his brother Robert Carradine, and half brothers David Carradine and Michael Bowen making a name for themselves as actors. Carradine's father John Carradine was also a legend from Hollywood's Golden Era, and Keith's daughters Martha Plimpton and Sorel Carradine have followed in their father's footsteps.

Legacies aside, Keith Carradine's footsteps are hardly small ones to follow, with the actor making a name for himself in the 1970s on the strength of scene-stealing turns in Robert Altman flicks like "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" (1971), "Thieves Like Us" (1974), and "Nashville" (1975). Carradine earned an Academy Award statue for the last film, though he did so not as an actor, but for writing and performing the song "I'm Easy," for the film. A couple of years later, Carradine shared the screen with Harvey Keitel in Ridley Scott's underrated thriller "The Duellists," and he's spent subsequent decades working with many of the biggest names in showbiz. He even starred in the legendary music video for Madonna's 1985 hit "Material Girl." 

As for where you've seen him recently, Carradine has been very in demand since a brief stint on "Deadwood" provided a late-career boon. That includes booking notable roles on "Dexter," "Fargo," "Criminal Minds," "Madame Secretary," and "Fear the Walking Dead," as well as spots in lauded films like "Ain't Them Bodies Saints," "The Old Man and the Gun," and "The Power of the Dog."