Character1970
G. Callen
This is an overview of regular and recurring characters on the TV series NCIS: Los Angeles.
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Investigate this subjectThis is an overview of regular and recurring characters on the TV series NCIS: Los Angeles.
This is an overview of regular and recurring characters on the TV series NCIS: Los Angeles.
Agent Grisha "G." Callen (born: Nikolaev) (portrayed by Chris O'Donnell) is the NCIS Special Agent in Charge, and the senior agent assigned to the Office of Special Projects. He first appeared in the NCIS season six episode "Legend (Part I)".
Before working at NCIS, Callen previously worked for the CIA (the longest), DEA, and FBI. Several episodes across the seasons reference his stint with the Agency. In seasons one and two, it is revealed that while with the CIA, Callen worked alongside recurring NCIS character Trent Kort (David Dayan Fisher), and was partnered with Tracy Rosetti (Marisol Nichols). Callen once served with his friend Leroy Jethro Gibbs, who now works at the NCIS Headquarters located in the Washington Navy Yard. Callen specializes in deep undercover work. Prior to the series commencing, G. Callen and Sam Hanna had been partnered for two years (as per the season three episode "Partner" where they celebrate their five-year partnership).
In the show's first episode "Identity", it is revealed that he is called "G" not because he dislikes his first name, but because he does not actually know what it stands for, as the system never told him. Further insights into his childhood come in season one's "Pushback", where Hetty Lange and operational psychologist Dr. Nate Getz discuss how Callen lived in thirty-seven foster homes from the age of five to the age of eighteen, sometimes moving every few days. Callen's childhood was fraught with abuse, which is referenced during various episodes. In season one ("Keeping It Real") he recalls that he once watched his foster father beat his foster brother to death. In season four, he shares how moving unexpectedly to a new home that wasn't quite so nice, made him close off his feelings. In "Reznikov, N." (season five), Callen tells Kensi and Deeks that when he was ten, his foster father used to beat him with a broom handle.
Over the course of several seasons, Callen has discovered more about his identity and flashbacks in the season two finale prompted him to suddenly recall that he spent part of his early childhood on the Romanian coast of the Black Sea. He also uncovers repressed memories of witnessing his mother being assassinated in front of him when he was four. Early in season three, Hetty finally tells Callen that she knew his mother, Clara and she was her CIA handler. Callen's maternal line back to his grandfather George Callen is revealed, as well as the Romanian blood feud between the Callens and the Comescus.
In addition to English, Callen is fluent in at least six other languages: Spanish, Polish, Russian, German (which is claimed to be Austrian German, and is usually completely butchered), Italian (with a Northern accent), and French. Callen also claims to speak Czech and Romanian; furthermore, his Russian is arguably good enough to be taken for one, but not the other, Chechen dialect. In the Season 1 episode "Search and Destroy" (S1:E4), Callen is shown easily reading Arabic, with enough fluency to translate on the fly into idiomatic English.
Dr. Nate Getz (portrayed by Peter Cambor) is an operational psychologist working with NCIS, stationed in Los Angeles, introduced in the series' backdoor pilot, the NCIS episode "Legend". Nate holds both a master's degree and Ph.D. in psychology.
He observes surveillance tapes and watches/handles interrogations in order to make a psychological profile. He is also responsible for performing periodic psychological evaluations of the NCIS OSP personnel and to provide ongoing monitoring of their mental health. He is afraid of disobeying orders from Hetty Lange and finds her scary. The team often fails to get his humor, for example, in "The Only Easy Day" when he states: "What has the world come to when drug dealers aren't even safe within the comfort of their own fortified homes?" He also knows how to play banjo and harmonica, and enjoys listening to jazz music. In the episode "Callen, G" he claims he was abducted by aliens as a child.
In the episode "Chinatown", Nate expresses his interest in becoming a field agent which is highly discouraged by the team members because of his inept field skills. He asks Hetty if she can think of any operational psychologist who has become a field agent; however, when she shares that the only known such person died on his second week of field work, Nate gets a little iffy about his choice. Despite this, Nate has received training in both fieldcraft and hand-to-hand combat, as demonstrated on several occasions in the episodes "Lockup" and "Harm's Way".
Nate and recurring character Rose Shwartz share an unconsummated mutual attraction. This has not been explored further as Peter Cambor is no longer a member of the main cast. Cambor's departure as a main cast member coincides with Nate's reassignment to the Middle East to investigate an Islamic militant group based in Yemen. With the conclusion of that mission in the episode "Harm's Way", Nate's current assignment is undisclosed, although it is known that he is remaining in the Middle East for the time being.
Nate returned to Los Angeles in "Patriot Acts" where he helped the team locate a domestic terrorist responsible for planting a bomb somewhere in the city. In "The 3rd Choir" he helps Nell to cope with her first kill.
Peter Cambor was credited as a main cast member during season one, but his character was downgraded to recurring at the start of season two. In his future appearances, Cambor was credited as a Special Guest Star.
Kensi Blye (portrayed by Daniela Ruah) is a Junior Field Agent in the NCIS Office of Special Projects Team stationed in Los Angeles.
Kensi was originally named "Kensi Lo" and described as "a twenty-something Asian-American whose academic record in forensics and criminology got her recruited young by the Feds"; a change was needed when Portuguese actress Daniela Ruah was cast.
Kensi Marie Blye was
Source: List of NCIS: Los Angeles characters (CC BY-SA)
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