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NCIS: Los Angeles marked the first spin-off of NCIS, and its success paved the way for multiple other offshoots. Even years after the show’s conclusion, the audience fondly remembers the procedural drama and its characters.
One character who was on the series for quite a while was Eric Beale, the Technical Operator, played by Barrett Foa. While Eric remained an important part of the team for years, he left the show in the Season 12 finale.
His exit still makes the viewers wonder why Eric Beale left NCIS: Los Angeles. In the show, it was established that Eric moved to Japan to work on the software he had been building. In reality, actor Barrett Foa wanted to pursue other projects and hence said goodbye to the CBS series.
The reason behind Eric Beale’s exit from NCIS: Los Angeles
Eric Beale contributed significantly to his team and even went on secret missions. Meanwhile, his on-and-off relationship with Special Agent and Intelligence Analyst Nell Jones became a highlight of NCIS: Los Angeles.
In Season 12, Eric started working on a computer software named Kaleidoscope. He eventually received funding for his vision and became a multi-millionaire. He then got a deal from investors in Japan to lead his tech company. That is why he decided to leave the team and move to Tokyo.
Meanwhile, he asked Nell to join him and become the number two at his tech company. The Intelligence Analyst accepted the offer, and the two left the show together. This is what happened in the storyline of NCIS: Los Angeles. Now, let’s talk about what happened behind the scenes.
Actor Barrett Foa, who played Eric, wanted to explore other acting opportunities after spending 12 years on the procedural drama, and that is why he reached an understanding with the creators to write his character off the show. Even before his official exit, there were hints that he might not stay on the show for long, as he took a leave during the shoot of Season 11.
In 2019, he starred in the play Angels in America in St. Louis, Missouri, while the 11th season of NCIS: Los Angeles was being filmed in LA. Thus, in the series, it was showcased that Eric had been sent on a secret mission by Hetty to justify Foa’s long absence.
Foa’s co-star, Renée Felice Smith, who played Nell Jones, had a similar reason to leave the show. The creators ultimately decided to give the two characters a happy ending together and sent them off to Japan. Talking about the stars’ exits, showrunner R. Scott Gemmill said in an interview with TV Line at the time:
“Both Renée and Barrett have been on the show a long time, and they're both very ambitious individuals who have projects that they want to do on their own — and we've been giving them time off to do so. It seemed like a natural time to let them go off and do some other things, and give [their characters] what is a happy, hopefully, ending.”
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Renée Felice Smith later reprised her role as Nell in the NCIS: Los Angeles series finale in 2023. However, Barrett Foa could not be a part of the episode due to scheduling issues.
For more news and updates about NCIS: Los Angeles, keep following Soap Central.
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