NCIS: Hawai’i is the latest iteration in the long-running NCIS franchise to hit the small screen, and while it had a bit of a rough start, the ensemble cast is making the series a memorable one. Tori Anderson, who portrays Special Agent Kate Whistler from the Defense Intelligence Agency, is revealing the biggest challenge of playing the agent.
Tori Anderson sat down with Looper to talk all things NCIS: Hawai’i recently, and the actress opened up about appearing on the newcomer CBS drama. In she revealed what the biggest challenge was when it comes to portraying Kate. Honestly, the role doesn't sound as if it always comes easy:
I think the biggest challenge for me is playing someone who comes off a little bit cold. Naturally, I feel like I'm quite an empathetic person, but Kate is very career-driven, and really sees the world in black and white, right and wrong, and just knows exactly what she's supposed to do.
It definitely seems as if it would be hard to play a character that is essentially the complete opposite of the actress who is portraying her. That's the beauty of acting, though I can see how it would be way easier to play a character who feels similar and might react the same way an actor or actress would in real life, particularly given the long hours network TV stars have to spend in their characters' shoes.
It's not all tough work, however. Tori Anderson also mentioned a fun aspect when it comes to playing Kate, and it seems like the special agent will be focusing on a lot in the remaining Season 1 episodes after the show was picked up for a full season order:
The fun thing to play with her is her trying to develop relationships that aren't just work-based, to sort of find the gray areas with people. I don't know, but I think she spent her life quite lonely, and I think she's really inspired by the team that Jane Tennant has built. So, that's been a really fun aspect to play, — trying to figure out where she fits in with everyone in her team, in Jane's team.
It will be interesting to see how Kate’s relationships play out as the series goes on. Going from a life that is somewhat lonely to being part of a team where she is surrounded by inspiring people is quite the change. Tori Anderson looks like she’s having fun figuring out what Kate’s next play is as the show continues to move forward.
As for what to expect in future episodes, it was recently announced by Vanessa Lachey that the long-anticipated crossover between NCIS and NCIS: Hawai’i will be happening on March 28. With the two shows being paired up on Monday nights, it was only just a matter of time before the flagship series finally crossed with the newest show. Not much is known about what will go down in the crossover, so hopefully more information is announced soon as the crossover gets closer.
New episodes of NCIS: Hawai’i air Mondays at 10 p.m. EST on CBS! Check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 winter and spring TV schedule to see what other shows to catch this year.
