CBS’s upcoming drama CIA, the Tom Ellis-led spinoff of the FBI franchise, is moving ahead with a major cast change as production continues to regroup behind the scenes. The series has officially brought in NCIS: New Orleans alumna as a series regular.
Necar Zadegan added to Tom Ellis’ CIA series cast
According to Deadline, Necar Zadegan is joining CBS’s CIA as one of the drama’s core cast. She will play the Chief of Station, the same role originally played by Michael Michele before her recent exit earlier this month. Zadegan’s casting is her return to CBS after starring for three seasons on NCIS: New Orleans.
Her joining coincides with a period of transition for the Tom Ellis and Nick Gehlfuss drama. CIA, which began production in September, has been on a two-week hiatus after showrunner Warren Leight exited the project. Leight had stepped in back in July, replacing original showrunner David Hudgins, but left shortly after the departures of Michele and director/executive producer Eriq La Salle.
The network has now finalized a major leadership change to steady the series. Mike Weiss, who is currently the showrunner of the flagship FBI series, has officially closed his deal. Now he is going to take over CIA as executive producer and showrunner. Filming, paused during the transition, has not yet been given a restart date.
At its core, CIA follows two unlikely partners. There is a fast-talking, rule-breaking CIA case officer played by Tom Ellis, and a disciplined, law-driven FBI agent played by Nick Gehlfuss. The duo is assigned to the CIA’s New York Station, where they must navigate clashing personalities while investigating threats on U.S. soil. Their differences, the series suggests, may end up being the key to their success. Zadegan now joins Ellis, Gehlfuss, and series regular Natalee Linez, who plays a CIA analyst.
CBS recently announced its midseason lineup and confirmed that CIA will debut February 23, airing Mondays at 10 p.m. right after FBI. Both shows are produced by Universal Television in association with Wolf Entertainment and CBS Studios.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on ComingSoon.
