'NCIS': All You Need To Know About Your Favorite Characters

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For 17 years now we have followed along on the cases worked by the Naval Criminal Investigative Services or better known as NCIS. This CBS show follows along with a team of NCIS agents led by Leroy Jethro Gibbs. We follow along as they gather evidence to solve crimes committed within or to the Navy.

While we know just about everything there is to know about the characters (the mysterious Gibbs excluded) what about the actors who have been in these roles for the past 17 years?

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What would NCIS be without Ducky? Dr. Donald Mallard contributes tid bits of his extensive knowledge to the audience with his stories of times past. This role has been played by David McCallum since season one and he is still with the show today.

David McCallum has been acting since 1951. Prior to his role on NCIS he was known for his character on The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. His role on that show was supposed to be a simple support character yet he ended up a massive celebrity, receiving more fan mail than Clark Gable.

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This "probie" has been around the block a few times. Actor Shawn Murray aka Special Agent Timothy McGee is no stranger to the world of television. As the stepson of Donald P. Bellisario, a producer, his family is full of television talent. His brother is an NCIS: Los Angeles producer.

Murray has been acting since 1961 and was previously known for his role on JAG. He married Carrie James in 2005 and they have two children together. Not too shabby for a probie.

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If you've watched NCIS you have heard of Gibbs rules. But who knew that actor Mark Harmon was a football player prior to his acting career. The son of football legend Tom Harmon and model mother Elyse Knox, he was born into a family of high expectations.

After graduating college and subsequently ending his football career, Harmon wasn't sure if he wanted to purse marketing or law. He pursued marketing but (thankfully for all of us) switched over to acting and has been playing an authoritative figure ever sense.

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Now who could forget about VERY Special Agent Tony DiNozzo? He may no longer be on the show, he did commit to it for 15 of the 17 years, the character was one who made the show successful. Michael Weatherly was cast as DiNozzo after beginning his career on The Cosby Show.

Weatherly now stars on the show Bull. He is married and has three children. We miss him dearly as DiNozzo but have to admit his work on his new show is pretty great.