Who plays Hollis Mann in NCIS? Everything to know about the cast behind the character
NCIS launched in 2003 as CBS's long-lasting American television show. The Navy Criminal Investigative Service runs as the main focus of this series through episodes that investigate crimes involving U.S. Navy and Marine personnel.
Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs leads an NCIS team against national security threats that include scenarios of espionage and terrorism.
Actress Susanna Thompson first appeared in season 4 as Lieutenant Colonel Hollis Mann. During her time in the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command, Mann partnered with NCIS investigators on investigations. Gibbs changes from a working partner to a romantic one.
Susanna Thompson’s role as Hollis Mann in NCIS
In NCIS season 4, Lieutenant Colonel Hollis Mann (Susanna Thompson) joins the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) as an important staff member. In episode 7, Sandblast, she joins NCIS agents to investigate a bombing at the Army-Navy Golf Club. Special Agent Gibbs enters into his first professional partnership with Hollis Mann at this point.
Through working with Gibbs in episode 13, Sharif Returns, Mann helps him locate dangerous terrorist Mamoun Sharif, who aims to launch a toxic attack. In episode 17, Skeletons, her work becomes important when she discovers the bones of military personnel in a storage facility through her investigative methods.
During Episode 19, Grace Period, Mann supports the NCIS team as they find clues in the suicide bombing murders of two agents. After she joins Gibbs for a work mission, In the Dark, it becomes evident that their connection is growing stronger.
In season 5, episode 3, Ex-File, Mann heads the investigation to discover why Marine Captain Trent Reynolds was found impaled by a spear inside his home. Gibbs feels strongly affected by the investigation when he discovers that one of the witnesses turns out to be his former wife, Stephanie Flynn.
The probe turns into an assistance that reveals economic bonds and secrets yet forces both Mann and Gibbs to confront work and personal struggles. The episode ends when Mann announces her Army retirement and her way to Hawaii to start a new life. She makes guest appearances in seasons 11 and 12.
In Kill Chain, season 11, episode 12, Mann rejoins the Navy Criminal Investigative Service as a special agent from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Mann joins the Navy Criminal Investigative Service squad to find a drone stolen by Benham Parsa, who plans terrorist acts.
The investigation reveals that terrorists have obtained sophisticated weapons to launch an extensive attack. Mann and Gibbs talk about their past relationships but continue their work as partners through the current case.
In season 12, episode 13, We Build, We Fight, Mann reappears to help NCIS detectives solve the murder mystery of Navy Lieutenant Eric Kutzler, who was qualified to become the first gay service member to win the Medal of Honor.
The Navy Criminal Investigative Service investigates the death of Navy Lieutenant Eric Kutzler, while Mann reveals crucial details about Kutzler's murder from the perspective of honor and prejudice.
Susanna Thompson’s early life and career
Susanna Thompson was born on January 27, 1958, in San Diego, California. She finished her undergraduate drama studies at San Diego State University.
Thompson started her work in theater, where she won Dramatic honors as Luisa and earned a Best Actress nomination from the San Diego Critics Circle for Agnes of God.
In the 1990s, she moved to TV, and made special guest spots on Star Trek: The Next Generation, The X-Files, and NYPD Blue. From 1999 to 2002, Thompson found major success through her performance as Karen Sammler on the ABC show Once and Again.
Besides starring as the Borg Queen in Star Trek: Voyager, she earned a Lieutenant Colonel Hollis Mann part in NCIS. For eight years, from 2012 to 2020, the CW network hired her to portray Moira Queen in their popular series, Arrow.
Thompson worked on several film projects, starting with Little Giants (1994) and extending to Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Random Hearts (1999), and Dragonfly (2002).
Watch New episodes of NCIS every Monday on CBS at 8 pm ET. The episodes can be streamed on Paramount+ the next day.
