‘NCIS’ Alum Emily Wickersham Shares Rare Photo of Her Baby During a Beach Day

Summer is here and actress Emily Wickersham celebrated with a beach day! The former NCIS star took her partner, James Badge Dale, and their young son, Cassius Wickersham Dale, to the ocean for some surf and sunshine.

Wickersham commemorated the fun day with an Instagram post. The images feature the family soaking up the sun in the sand, with Emily coming back from an attempt at surfing, and the couple’s baby, Cassius, dozing in the shade. “Tried to be Blue Crush today,” she wrote in the caption.

Why Emily Wickersham Left ‘NCIS’ After Season 18

After eight years with the iconic police procedural NCIS, Emily Wickersham announced her departure with the Season 18 finale. At the time, she gave no real explanation as to why she chose to leave the series. Many thought that she simply wanted to pursue other projects, as so many actors do after an extended run with a show.

Now, however, it’s safe to assume that at least part of the reason for her departure was the impending arrival of her son, Cassius. Season 18 of NCIS wrapped up in May of 2021, and Cassius was born later that same year, on December 30th.

Though Emily’s departure from the series was met with shock and disappointment from fans, it’s clear that she left on good terms. In addition to her costars thanking her for her hard work and proclaiming that they would support her future projects, Emily herself wrote a heartfelt note to the cast and crew of NCIS.

“This cast, this crew, are top notch,” she wrote on Instagram. “I can’t say enough kind words about this group that I’ve had the pleasure of working with for close to 8 years now and 172 episodes later. This business is finicky and weird and consistency is a rarity.”

“I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of a show where I got to show up and act and laugh and learn with wonderful people. A moment in time I surely won’t forget,” she continued. “Thank you CBS and NCIS for including me in a part of television history. Time goes fast. Eat it up but chew slowly.”

Emily Wickersham Once Recalled Being ‘Shocked’ by Her ‘NCIS’ Role

Prior to NCIS, Emily Wickersham’s acting credits include major series such as The Sopranos, Law & Order, and Gossip Girl. However, the actress called NCIS her “first big TV job, really being on a show as a main character.”

As she had no prior experience in a leading role, Wickersham was nothing short of amazed by NCIS producers’ decision to hire her for the prominent role of Eleanor “Ellie” Bishop.

“I was shocked!” she explained in an interview with CBS Watch. “By no means was I expecting to get the job. I had learned not to get my hopes up in this business. You can feel like you’ve done such a great job and the powers that be will say, ‘Nah’. Luckily this one clicked. I think my agents called me and I was probably home, studying for another audition or something.”