A Very Real President Could Have Appeared on NCIS If Only EP Had His Way
One of the longest-running series currently on the air, NCIS has always delighted fans with how its plot reflects on the present-day political context and the United States' international and domestic activities.
Viewers agree that it would be exciting to see some famous people from the world of politics appear in the show as cameos, and recently, fans were surprised to find out their beloved series could star a President of the United States — and not just one!
As a matter of fact, one "president" has already appeared on the show — the first episode of season one, called "Yankee White," featured George W. Bush, portrayed by comedian Steve Bridges.
The episode was released in 2003, at the time when American society was going through a difficult stage, coping with the trauma of 9/11, the onset of war in Iraq, as well as the war in Afghanistan, which had been going on for two years then. That's why the decision to have a comedic actor play the President was somewhat provocative, reflecting the series' critical view of US politics.
But still, imagine how powerful that episode would be if the President were real!
It turns out the show's executive producers had an ambitious plan for one of the later episodes, hoping to film a scene with real American presidents.
In an interview with TV Insider, dedicated to the series' 450th episode (released February 27, 2023), Executive Producer Steven D. Binder said that his aspiration was to "get them [the Presidents] in a card game." According to Binder, US Presidents Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama were to appear as cameos in a card-playing scene — and the producer even had a contact to help him reach one of the living presidents.
Apparently, one of the former heads of the United States either could not be reached at that time or politely declined the proposal, so to the producers and viewers' disappointment, that ambitious scene was never filmed. "And if you can't get the one, then you get none," Binder concluded.
Fans are certainly upset by this situation, but the good news is that the series is still running, and who knows — perhaps presidents Donald Trump (who has appeared in several movies and TV shows) or Joe Biden will be more approachable!