The Character Everyone Forgot Emily Wickersham Played On The Sopranos

Whether you've been watching "NCIS" since its debut in 2003 or you've recently become a fan of the show and fallen in love with the latest group of fictional investigators (the show has gone through some cast changes over the years), Agent Eleanor "Ellie" Bishop (Emily Wickersham) has likely made an impression on you. 

Bishop is a former NSA analyst who joined the NCIS team in Season 11, and she's proven an impressive, knowledgeable force for the unit. However, Wickersham didn't just land a part on one of CBS' hottest shows out of the blue with no acting experience. In fact, she's been in several movies and television shows since kicking off her acting career in 2006. Still need a refresher on where you might have seen the actress who plays Ellie Bishop on "NCIS" before? Let's discuss the character everyone forgot Emily Wickersham played on HBO's acclaimed drama series "The Sopranos."

On "The Sopranos," Emily Wickersham played Rhiannon Flammer, a friend of Anthony John "A.J." Soprano (Robert Iler). Wickersham's role was a recurring one, and she appeared in four episodes — "Johnny Cakes," "Cold Stones," "The Blue Comet," and "Made in America" (via Fandom) — from 2006 to 2007.

When the audience first meets Rhiannon, she's dating one of A.J.'s friends, Hernan O'Brien (Vincent Piazza). However, her path crosses A.J.'s more directly when they reconnect in a psychiatric hospital after A.J. attempts to take his own life; Rhiannon is being treated for dietary problems. The pair even start to get intimate in the middle of the woods in A.J.'s beloved Nissan Xterra, but the car's catalytic converter overheats, causing a fire that forces the would-be lovers to leave. They watch in disbelief as the car catches fire and explodes.

Since Wickersham's role as Rhiannon Flammer on "The Sopranos" was so short-lived, it's understandable that fans overlook this bit early in her career. Looking ahead, Wickersham is actually leaving "NCIS" after Season 18, news she announced on Instagram in May 2021, so it'll be exciting to see what she does next.