This is what it’s like to play a petty officer on ‘NCIS’

It’s easy for filmmaking to lose its charm. Days on set are long. Some shot setups are tedious. There’s a lot of “hurry up and wait,” and we all know how that feels. So for me, someone who lives for those days, the best gift in the world is to work with other people who love it, too.

That’s how it felt on the “NCIS” set.

And it was a long time coming for me.

Let’s take it back to 2017. I’d been in Los Angeles after my military service for a few years now, auditioning for commercials, indie projects, and student films, but not yet hitting those recognizable projects yet. I was volunteering with Pin-Ups for Vets in Northern California. We stepped out of a hospital visit, I checked my phone, and I couldn’t believe what awaited me:

My very first television audition notice ever. For “NCIS.”

For the next day.

A Rush to Make the Audition

This was pre-COVID, when auditions were all in-person at the time you were assigned, with little wiggle room. I looked at Pin-Ups for Vets founder Gina Elise and told her I couldn’t go sightseeing, because I had to haul ass home on the earliest flight out.

The next morning, we were up at 0500, taking the rental car through the winding Napa Valley roads back to the airport, onto a flight, running lines in our seats. I had only brought dresses and workout gear, so I borrowed clothes from Gina. The timing into Los Angeles International Airport and then to Paramount Studios meant I went straight from LAX to the audition. Meanwhile, a friend met me at the Paramount gates with my headshot and resume binder.

But I made it. I greeted 20 other women in military-esque civvies. I auditioned, which takes about sixty-three seconds, and thanked Casting. Then I left.

And, of course, I did not book it.

But, finally, the race was on.

Staying in Touch

Over the years, I auditioned for the “NCIS” franchise off and on. I finally booked my first two television co-star roles in 2019, playing a cop in “The Rookie” and an intelligence officer (fun full-circle moment for someone who had the Air Force specialty code 14N) in “SEAL Team.”

In 2025, I finally had some momentum going with the “NCIS” casting office. This let me know I was at least doing something right, even if I wasn’t the right puzzle piece yet.

In November 2025, “NCIS” invited service members from Veterans in Media and Entertainment to tour the set. This is when I first learned how much the “NCIS” team respects our military service members.

The franchise has a team of veterans who serve as technical advisers for the show, weighing in on accuracy and authenticity. For the OG “NCIS,” that job is currently helmed by retired Navy Master-at-Arms Command Investigator Michael Smith, or Mike. And let me tell you, this guy knows his stuff. More on that—and how he shaped Navy MA2 Swift—soon.

Mike brought us around to chat with executive producer and badass writer (I think that’s his official title) Scott Williams. He gave us a tour of the writers room and chatted with us about how they build episodes and season storylines.

If you aren’t familiar with TV writing, it isn’t done one episode at a time. They’re tackling post-production on last week’s episode, last-minute edits on the episode shooting this week, prep for the episode that’s shooting next week, drafts for casting, and building sets and wardrobe for the episodes after that, and storylines for the episodes after that, and, well, you get the idea.

Scott generously chatted with us about how they ideate for a show that just completed its 23rd season. Not an easy task.

Chatting with the “NCIS” Cast

Mike then brought us through the lot, checking out different sets before bringing us in to watch the current episode that was filming—an episode I had just auditioned for. Talk about a great way to see how the final product was made!

The cast warmly stayed around for a good while after wrapping to chat with us. Let me tell you, this is not common. Actors, especially high-visibility ones like Wilmer Valderrama, Gary Cole, Katrina Law, and Sean Murray, are used to being swarmed by people they don’t know. That’s just part of the job, but also, it can be exhausting, especially when fans don’t understand boundaries. But these guys were genuinely warm and gracious with their time.

I think they understood the hunger in us; each of us is pursuing our career in the entertainment industry, whether acting, directing, writing, producing, etc. More than that, they respected us as veterans and wanted to hear about our stories and share their own experiences depicting military scenarios on-screen.

The entire day made me realize something: The entire cast and crew of “NCIS” cares deeply about getting these stories right and honoring military experiences.

Determined to Be on “NCIS”

It lit a fire in me. I wanted to be part of that damn show.

As a parting gift, they gave us DVDs of the series, signed cast photos, T-shirts, and a baseball cap that read “NCIS Cast and Crew.”

Well, I wasn’t part of the cast yet, but dammit, I was going to be.

I kept the cap where I could see it—motivation. I studied the tone of the show, the lighting, the pacing. And then, the opportunity came: I had another email from my agents telling me I had an audition for “NCIS.”

The thing about auditioning is that you could be perfect for the role. You could even give the best performance of any actor, but you must also fit into the scene like a puzzle piece. Your height could factor in, based on the other actors in the scene. If you look just like a lead, it might distract audiences.

A million factors go into it. All you can do as an actor is prepare, bring your essence and experience to the role, and then walk away as if you’re never gonna hear from Casting again.

But this time, I booked it.

And if I thought we got a warm reception on Veterans Day, it was blazing when I got to set to film. I think it also helps that I brought excited energy with me; remember, set days are sometimes long and tedious.

The Costume Department was amazing. Hair and Makeup was so friendly and had hilarious stories. The rest of the guest cast was legendary; both LL Cool J and Geoffrey Arend were in my episode. A handshake from LL Cool J’s character, Sam Hanna? The warmest, most encompassing handshake of my life.

Let’s talk about character names for a second. Co-stars (traditionally an actor whose character speaks about five lines or fewer) and even guest stars (who have a larger episode arc) might not always get a name. You see plenty of “Teacher,” “Nurse,” or “EMT” types of credits out there, and they’re perfectly valid… just not as exciting.

Navy Yard Security Forces Master-At-Arms Petty Officer Second Class Anne Swift.

It’s the longest credit I’ve ever seen. My episode director, Lionel Coleman, laughed about it, too. But that’s Mike Smith, who ensured the character had an authentic name, rank, and job title appropriate to her position. Mike also advised that MA2 Swift would have a weapon and therefore would wear her cover indoors so her hands were free to access that weapon without delay.

These are the kinds of conversations that go into a military show. Might it have looked better on camera if I wasn’t wearing my cover? Yeah, probably. The light could find my face. But it wouldn’t be authentic, so the “NCIS” team decided to sacrifice aesthetics.

TV and film are visual mediums, so that’s not always the case. I respected the call, even if my ego might have appreciated a cinched waist and some vanity lighting.

Scott turned out to be the writer of my episode, and he warmly greeted me and said he remembered meeting me on Veterans Day. I have to reiterate that that just isn’t common. Episode writers, if they’re on set at all, are busy. They don’t have time or might not think to make the time to greet the guest cast. But Scott, Lionel, the producers… everyone on set welcomed me to the “NCIS” team.

A Part of the Team

My scene is with Gary Cole and Geoffrey Arend, which meant that between takes, we hung out in the same holding area. I have been a fan of these guys for decades. They’re icons. They did not have to talk to me, but they were warm, funny, and friendly. They had their lines to work on, certainly more lines than I had so I was sure to respect any need for silence, but they still made a connection.

That left a lasting impression.

Filming went without a hitch. Before I knew it, that was a wrap on Shannon Corbeil. I was congratulated. I said my thanks. And I was out the door.

But the warmth didn’t end there. Lionel and Scott reached out the day the episode aired to congratulate me and compliment my work. As a co-star, I was such a small puzzle piece to this episode, which, by the way, is a two-part storyline. Still, they know how much it means to actors early in their careers. A television credit is so hard-won, and it means so much to book it and build a credible resume. They made me feel like I was truly part of the team.

And that’s the thing with “NCIS”: Even with a two-line co-star, I was part of the team.

How to See Anne Swift on “NCIS”

I will remember this amazing experience for the rest of my career, and I will pay back that energy every chance I get.

If you want to see a very fun episode and catch Navy Yard Security Forces Master-At-Arms Petty Officer Second Class Anne Swift, “NCIS” Season 23 Episode 17 “Reboot” is available on Paramount+. Enjoy!

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