I just found out Millie Bobby Brown played a killer in NCIS before Stranger Things

Before she shaved her head to battle Demogorgons as Eleven, Millie Bobby Brown quietly slipped into the NCIS universe, and the part she played is nothing like the heroine in Stranger Things that gave her a massive fanbase. In 2014, the then‑10‑year‑old guest‑starred in Season 12’s episode "Parental Guidance Suggested."

At first glance, she appears to be a fragile Navy kid traumatised by her mother’s death. By the final act, however, viewers discover that Brown’s character, Rachel Barnes, is actually the murderer.

The revelation feels especially jarring inside a long‑running procedural that usually saves its darkest twists for adult villains. Fans still list Rachel among the show’s most unsettling antagonists, proof that Brown’s acting chops were already razor‑sharp two years before Netflix introduced the world to Hawkins, Indiana.

Knowing she once chilled audiences on NCIS makes her later success feel less like a surprise and more like destiny. Curious to know more about Brown's appearance in the acclaimed police procedural? Keep reading below!

Millie Bobby Brown's psychopathic role in NCIS Season 12 explored

The NCIS episode, "Parental Guidance Suggested," opens with Special Agent Gibbs comforting Rachel in the squad room. He brings popcorn, hot chocolate, and even builds a pillow fort so she can feel safe while her Navy SEAL dad is debriefed.

Everything about her screams innocence: she chats about Harry Potter, worries about monsters in the dark and trembles at the sight of crime‑scene tape. The team focuses on outside suspects, assuming the real killer targeted Rachel’s mother while the little girl looked on in horror.

The script methodically flips that assumption. Rachel’s oddly specific lies, her calm recollection of ballistic details, build tension until Gibbs realises the awful truth: Rachel shot her mother in the back because she resented being ignored every time Dad shipped out.

When confronted, she shows no remorse, casually asking for another juice box as though nothing tragic had happened. The stark contrast between the sweet child and the cold‑blooded killer rattled viewers and cast alike.

Some fans on Reddit and social‑media threads still label her among the most psychotic villains NCIS ever had, beating out veteran assassins and serial murderers who’ve plagued the team for years.

From a production perspective, the writers took cues from traditional evil child thrillers like The Bad Seed, but Brown keeps the convention grounded. She does not cackle or add cartoonishly evil lines, but her blank look and child logic of killing her mother make the crime eerily believable.

Also Read: Stranger Things cast all bid farewell to the Netflix series as Season 5 wraps

Millie Bobby Brown's role in NCIS highlighted her skills and impressive screen presence

Millie Bobby Brown played Rachel in NCIS even before she was cast as Eleven in Stranger Things. Even at that young age, Brown showed just how talented she was, proving she was meant for bigger, more complex roles in the future.

When the Stranger Things team began searching for a young actor who could sell both trauma and intensity, her NCIS tape must have stood out. Even in the era of endless re‑watch culture, new fans keep stumbling upon this episode and posting shocked reactions: "Wait, that’s Eleven?"

Looking back, Rachel Barnes almost feels like Eleven’s opposite. One is a troubled kid who hurts people for attention, while the other uses her powers to protect the people she loves.

That contrast actually makes both characters more interesting, and it’s a fun little fact for anyone surprised to learn that Millie Bobby Brown once played a killer in NCIS before becoming Eleven.

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Also Read: I can't believe I missed these things from the Stranger Things Season 5 trailer

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