What role did Sarah Jane Morris play in NCIS? Character details explored
CBS's long-running procedural series, NCIS, is currently airing its 22nd season on the channel. The show debuted in 2003, focusing on NCIS special agents who investigate crimes involving the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. In February 2025, CBS confirmed that the series would return for a 23rd season.
The Major Case Response Team of NCIS was led by Mark Harmon's Leroy Jethro Gibbs up till Season 19. He was one of the longest-running cast members of the show, alongside Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, and Sean Murray, who still continues to be a part of the show.
Apart from these prominent members, the show has had a rotating cast over the years. One notable addition is Sarah Jane Morris, who portrayed NCIS Special Agent Erica Jane Barrett in Seasons 8 and 9 of the show. Other significant guest stars are Jamie Lee Curtis, Glen Powell, Millie Bobby Brown, and even Michelle Obama.
Sarah Jane Morris played Erica Jane Barrett on NCIS
Sarah Jane Morris played an NCIS Special Agent called Erica Jane or E.J. Barrett introduced in Episode 17 of NCIS Season 8, One Last Score. She was the team leader of the NCIS squad in Rota, Spain, the same role that Tony turned down in Season 4 to stay with his team.
Barrett was brought in to lead a separate team that would investigate the Port-to-Port Killer case, which later got mixed with Gibbs’s team. Sarah's portrayal of Barrett was as a confident and no-nonsense agent. She appeared in eight episodes through Seasons 8 and 9 combined and shared a brief romantic relationship with Tony in her limited time on the show.
Their relationship became very dynamic as Gibbs grew suspicious of her team’s involvement in the case. Her time on the show increased when the Port-to-Port Killer, Jonas Cobb, attacked her team. She barely survived the assault and lost two of her agents, Levin and Cade, at different instances.
Barrett later discovered a microchip that Levin had hidden in his arm and, along with Tony, started investigating its contents. They found out that it was actually a trap to lure them, and they got shot by a fake FBI agent named Casey Stratton. After this, Barrett decided to go underground for a while.
Barrett briefly reappeared in Season 9, featuring in two episodes. Gibbs and her team were successful in solving the serial killer case and capturing Stratton, and Barrett was finally safe. She chose to take some time and stay off the grid. While her fate remained ambiguous, her arc left a lasting impact on Tony and the Port-to-Port killer storyline.
About Sarah Jane Morris
Sarah Jane Morris is an American television and film actress who has been in the industry since 2000. She is a native of Memphis, Tennessee, and was born on April 12, 1977. Morris was a keen actor right from her childhood. She later went to Southern Methodist University in Texas and studied theater.
To kickstart her Hollywood career, Morris began taking guest spots on television programs such as Boston Public and Undressed before becoming a recurring character in Felicity. Most people recognize her for the role of Julia, the wife of Tommy Walker, in ABC's Brothers & Sisters from 2006 to 2009.
She has also been part of various other films such as Coyote Ugly, Seven Pounds, and 6 Month Rule. Apart from being an actor, she is married to Rooney's former drummer, Ned Brower, and the couple has two children. She balances her career with family life and occasional TV appearances.
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