Lauren Michael Holly played the role of NCIS director Jenny Shepard in the long-running CBS procedural and evolved into a fan-favorite character in a very short time. She made her NCIS debut in 2006 in the third season of the hit franchise and despite shorter plans from the creative team, continued to remain on the show till the fifth chapter.Her exit from the CBS drama was an emotional farewell to a much-loved character as we see her put her own life at stake while trying to safeguard her other team members. The Season finale exit was justified by Lauren Holly stating that she had "got bored" with her part as Director. Moreover, her character arc had also lost its course due to multiple setbacks in the plotline and the star was also reportedly facing transit issues while filming the show.Why did Lauren Holly leave NCIS? Details revealed View this post on Instagram Instagram PostLauren Holly graced the set of NCIS for the first time in the third season when she took over the position of the department's director after Thomas Morrow (played Alan Dale) resigned. As multiple sources confirmed, the star was initially chosen for only six episodes and as a supporting character.But due to obvious reasons, Jenny Shepard gained unprecedented popularity among NCIS fans which forced the showrunners to take a different course with her character arc. Moreover, the behind-the-scenes situation for NCIS was also pretty tense at that time owing to Don Bellisario's removal from the show and a tense relationship with lead star Mark Harmon.There were a lot of speculations among fans that Holly's exit might have been related to the aforementioned development on set. According to her statement, per MovieWeb:"I enjoyed being on the show, and began some wonderful friendships. I was saddened that Don Bellisario was forced out, and I missed him a lot. To be honest, now that the work bug had bitten me again, I got bored with my part of the 'Director.'"Another factor that contributed to Lauren Holly leaving the show was a lingering love story between her character and Mark Harmon's Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Moreover, her continuous tussle with Scottie Thompson's Jeanne Benoit had got in the way her character's evolution throughout three seasons. So, NCIS gave her arc a dramatic conclusion where we see Shepard fighting till her last breath in Season 5 finale while being rained down upon with bullets.At the beginning of the same season, Shepard came to know that he had a tumor growing in her brain and while taking the fall, she succumbed to four bullet wounds. According to CBR, Lauren Holly would often joke around about the NCIS creators writing off her character in "five different ways".In addition to this Lauren Holly was also facing personal problems in transiting between two different cities for shooting purposes (Los Angeles & Chicago). So, the star figured out the right moment to part ways with NCIS and move on to the next chapter of her life.Stay tuned to Soap Central for more information.Also Read: 48 Hours: Mystery in Room 813 - Was Robert Salazar involved in Sandra Orellana's death? Details revealed