This NCIS Actor Played Two Different Characters In The Same Series

CBS' long-running military procedural "NCIS" has seen no particular shortage of special guest stars. And with the series officially entering its second decade on the air, its list of such stars is understandably longer than most. Typically, when an actor books a guest starring role on any given series, they do so with the understanding that their time on the show will likely be done once the character makes their exit. But on rare occasions, an actor is asked back reprise such a role. On even rarer occasions, an actor comes back to play another role entirely. And that's just what happened with Anne-Marie Johnson, who indeed played two different characters on "NCIS." 

The actor claimed those roles more than a decade apart, however, making her first "NCIS" appearance during a Season 5 episode titled "Requiem," and returning for the Season 20 episode "Second Opinion." As for the former episode, it found Johnson portraying Colonel Stacey Radcliffe, a by-the-books Marine who faces some tough questions from former NCIS boss Leroy Jethro Gibbs and NCIS Director Jenny Shepard regarding one of the season's trickier cases. The latter episode saw the actor step into the role of Selena Grayson, a U.S. Senator who encounters the current Alden Parker-led team after her daughter is murdered.

Johnson's second turn on "NCIS" offered a much bigger showcase, with the actor more than delivering the goods as the fiery Senator Grayson. And yes, the role proved far more befitting Johnson's station as a low-key TV icon.

If you're wondering where you might've seen Anne-Marie Johnson before, it may be tough to pin down. That's because she's amassed more than 100 screen credits over the past few decades, and appeared in some of the biggest shows on the air over that span. Johnson's early credits include '80s staples like "Different Strokes," "Hill Street Blues," and "Hunter." But in 1985, Johnson booked the first of her signature roles, playing Nadine Hudson Thompson in all three seasons of "What's Happening Now!" 

When that series ended in 1988, Johnson would land arguably the biggest role of her career, playing Althea Gibbs in the small screen adaptation of "In the Heat of the Night." She'd play that role for the bulk of the series' eight-season run, and earn raves for her soulful work as the iron-willed wife of small-town Chief of Detectives Virgil Gibbs (Howard E. Rollins Jr.).

Johnson would follow that dramatic gig by joining the cast of Fox's beloved '90s sketch comedy series "In Living Color," and go on to appear in other era hits like "Melrose Place," "ER," "Mad About You," "The X-Files," and "Ally McBeal," among others. Johnson has continued to book work on high-profile projects since. She's also been a regular in the "NCIS" realm, appearing in 18 episodes of the series' predecessor "JAG" as Representative Bobbi Latham, later turning up as Doctor Adams in two episodes of "NCIS: Los Angeles." And with four separate "NCIS" characters under her belt, one has to think Johnson's presence in that universe might cause some serious continuity issues if creatives aren't careful.