What role did Drew Carey play on NCIS? Character explored in depth

Veteran comedian-actor and ex-U.S. Marine, Drew Carey, graced the set of the hit CBS drama NCIS back in March 2018, just months after his casting announcement. The visionary stand-up comedy artist and the face of the Drew Carey show appeared on NCIS Season 15 Episode 16 'Handle with Care', playing the role of ex-Marine Sergeant John Ross.

According to Deadline, NCIS showrunners had described Drew Carey's highly anticipated role in 2018, saying:

"With the casting of John Ross, a retired Marine, we needed an actor who could play the outgoing, passionate side of the character but also the dark reality that he is still haunted from being a prisoner of war for many years."

Carey portrayed a retired Marine (John Ross) in NCIS whose main duty was to provide relief packages to officers fighting and serving actively in the field every day. However, Ross unfortunately gets trapped in a murder conspiracy despite being an honorable figure and tries to find his way out with the help of Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon's iconic role).

Drew Carey's NCIS role as retired Marine Sergeant John Ross, revisited

Drew Carey made his NCIS guest appearance more than five years ago, in 2018, in a short-spanning yet key role: An ex-Marine officer named John Ross. The Price is Right host's guest role was yet another valuable addition to the long-running franchise's star-studded cast. However, his appearance on the CBS drama hit a rather negative note as Carey was portrayed as the main person of interest in the murder of a young officer.

NCIS Season 15 Episode 16 centered mainly on the above-mentioned homicide that took place in Spain while on duty. After a series of investigations, it was revealed that the officer's cause of death was cyanide poisoning through cookies delivered in care packages. Initially, all fingers started pointing towards the person who was in charge of these packages' delivery to Marines actively deployed overseas: Sergeant John Ross.

However, Ross, being a veteran and an officer who has always been loyal to his line of work, easily gained the trust of Agent Gibbs and his team. Moreover, they also helped him to keep his name clear of the accusations and catch the actual culprit behind the whole fiasco.

Drew Carey's John Ross was an iconic addition to NCIS' guest star list, given the fact that the well-known comedian has also served his nation working for the U.S. Marine Corps for more than half a decade. Moreover, his character brought in a good amount of drama to the CBS procedural with a bittersweet backstory.

While Carey's presence in the show as Sergeant Ross was not major, he still managed to connect with major characters like Maria Bello’s Dr. Jacqueline Sloane. According to the NCIS showrunners' statements to Deadline in 2018, it was quite "a complex role" that got very little time to be portrayed, and Drew Carey was their best option to bring John Ross to life in the "powerful and heart-warming episode".

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Also Read: “There's gonna be some major surprises": Wilmer Valderrama drops promising updates on potential NCIS and Origins crossover

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