As the saying goes, behind every great man is a great woman. In the case of NCIS's Special
Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon, that woman is his first wife, Shannon, portrayed
by Darby Stanchfield.
We only see Shannon Gibbs in flashbacks on NCIS, as she and their daughter Kelly were
killed in a car accident arranged by a drug dealer that took place over a decade before
the show is set. So even though NCIS seems to be playing whenever you turn on the TV,
Stanchfield's Shannon isn't as familiar as some of the other characters.
However, there's a good chance you'll know Stanchfield from somewhere else. Here's why
Shannon Gibbs from NCIS looks so familiar.
NCIS has consistently ranked as the most watched drama in the U.S. but it's far from the only
hit show Stanchfield has been involved with. One of her very first TV jobs was on an episode
of Angel, the spin-off of beloved supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Stanchfield
also had a small role on everyone's favorite boxset of the '00s, 24, playing Mandy's ill-fated
neighbor Shari. Elsewhere in the early-to-mid-2000s era of her career, Stanchfield popped up on
That '80s Show, Monk, It's All Relative, Strong Medicine, Without a Trace, and Nip/Tuck.
Just before landing her NCIS gig, the actress secured a job on Jericho, CBS' post-apocalyptic
action-drama that ran for just two seasons before it was cancelled. Stanchfield portrayed
April Green, a doctor at a medical center in the fictional town of Jericho, Kansas.
Her stint lasted just over a dozen episodes, with her character's arc ending in death.
From there, Stanchfield took over the character of Amelia Joffe on General Hospital for 10
episodes in 2007, and then booked a recurring role on the iconic drama series Mad Men. She
played Helen Bishop, the divorcee who scandalized '60s suburbia, for five episodes on the first
two seasons of the series.
"Of course if he does die, I'm set. I'm joking."
It took a while for Stanchfield to land another character who came back for more than one
episode, but she worked consistently on many well-known shows. She has had one-off appearances
on Bones, Private Practice, The Mentalist, Ghost Whisperer, and even How I Met Your Mother,
on which she played the snobby former tenant of Marshall and Ted's apartment.
After booking NCIS, Stanchfield doubled down on the crime angle with two separate roles
on CSI: NY and CSI: Miami. You may also know her as Richard Castle's first ex-wife from
the comedic crime series Castle.
Having popped up for one or two episodes of numerous hit shows, Stanchfield landed another
major recurring role in 2012. On the Shonda Rhimes-created political thriller series Scandal,
the actress played Abby Whelan, the outspoken former Press Secretary and Chief of Staff
at the White House and the mostly loyal best friend and colleague to Kerry Washington's
Olivia Pope.
Stanchfield also got the chance to influence Olivia Pope's world off screen. She created
and directed a promotional web series called Scandal: Gladiator Wanted, which was released
a week before the show's season 6 premiere. She must have impressed the showrunners because
she later got the chance to direct an episode of the final season — the 15th episode,
entitled "The Noise."
If you're more into supernatural demons than lawyers, you may know Stanchfield from her
most recent role. She plays Nina Locke on Netflix's adaptation of the graphic novel
series Locke & Key, which hit the streaming platform on February 7, 2020. Stanchfield
plays the mother of three children who return to their father's childhood home after he
is killed. The fun and frights start when they find mysterious keys that unlock supernatural
portals and attract a demonic force. Nina Locke is also an alcoholic, which gave Stanchfield
an emotional new challenge to tackle in the role. Although Netflix hasn't confirmed anything
yet, the ending of Locke & Key hinted that there could be a second season, meaning Stanchfield
could be back for more spooks and scares.
Either way, it looks like Stanchfield's long-running career isn't slowing down any time soon.
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