Why Carla Chase From NCIS: Hawaii Looks So Familiar
The latest series to join CBS' longtime "NCIS" franchise is an inside look at some of Hawai'i's toughest crime fighters. "NCIS: Hawai'i" premiered in fall 2021 and follows the NCIS agents out of the Pear Harbor field office, helmed by Vanessa Lachey's Jane Tennant. Despite being the newest "NCIS" show on the block, it's already been a hit with fans who were quick to fall in love with a new group of agents (per IMDb).
One of the newest characters introduced on "NCIS: Hawai'i" is Carla Chase. Chase is a U.S. Navy Commander who is assigned as a Deputy Medical Examiner. In the new show, she's only appeared as a guest star in a handful of episodes, such as Season 1 Episode 14 "Broken," where she's involved in an investigation of a beach attack on a Marine team.
Chase may have a familiar face to "NCIS" fans, as the actress who portrays her has been working in Hollywood since the turn of the century. In real life, she's also married to Jason Antoon, who portrays tech expert Ernie Malik on "NCIS: Hawai'i." So who is the star behind Carla Chase?
Seana Kofoed kicked off her TV career on another long-running crime procedural
Seana Kofoed was born in 1970 and has spent the majority of her adult life acting, mainly in TV shows and in theatrical productions (per IMDb). Prior to making her on-screen debut, she starred in several on and off-Broadway productions, including "Night Must Fall" and "Proof" (via Playbill). Around the same time, she made it to the small screen.
Her first official acting credit was in 1999 when she had a guest role as Lorraine Hickman in an episode of "Third Watch" (via IMDb). Just the following year, Kofoed landed a major guest role on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
In the episode "Limitations," Kofoed plays Lois Creen, a young rape victim. She is shown dealing with numerous traumas related to her attack, including fighting against the statute of limitations for prosecuting and being accused of lying about her story. The role would be no easy feat for even a veteran actor, so it shows that Kofoed has had undeniable talent to play tricky roles since the beginning of her career.
She's made numerous guest appearances on major TV shows over the years, including "The Mentalist," "Numb3rs," "The Young and The Restless," and "Rules of Engagement."
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
She's had a few major TV roles
As previously mentioned, TV is definitely Seana Kofoed's wheelhouse. The medium accounts for the majority of her acting credits on IMDb, and she's appeared on a wide range of shows, from action thrillers to comedies. One of her first major recurring roles was in the 2006 series "Men In Trees." The show follows Marin Frist (Anne Heche), a relationship coach who moves to Alaska to start a new life.
Kofoed takes on the role of Jane Burns, Marin's editor who's a local in town. Her major storyline is that she falls in love with the "plow guy" (Ty Olsson), and ends up married to him after some encouragement from her friend. While the series ended after just two seasons, creator Jenny Bicks previously told Deadline that showrunners are interested in a reboot.
Later in life, in 2019, Kofoed starred in the Lifetime series "American Princess," a show about a NYC socialite named Amanda Klein (Georgia Flood) who runs away and joins a Renaissance Faire. Kofoed portrays Maggie Chainey, a no-nonsense leader who is the de-facto queen of the fair. Amanda struggles to impress Maggie and get in her good graces, providing plenty of tension and comedic relief throughout the show's single season.
Seana Kofoed has also dabbled in film
In addition to her many TV roles, Seana Kofoed also has a few film acting credits under her belt. In 2005, she starred in Kevin Shinick's directorial debut "It's About Time," which is a sci-fi meets rom-com project (via Hidden Films. Later on, in 2013, she had a small role in the comedy-drama film "Life of Crime" starring major names like Jennifer Aniston, Yasiin Bey, Will Forte, and Isla Fisher (via IMDb).
More recently, Kofoed worked on a film project where she played a role both behind and in front of the screen. She is listed as a writer for the 2018 horror film "30 Miles From Nowhere," where she also portrayed a main character named Elaine (via IMDb). The film follows five college friends who reunite under heartbreaking circumstances, but the situation turns sinister.
Kofoed doesn't have a long list of behind-the-scenes credits, but all of them came after the year 2010 (via IMDb). It seems like over the years, she's expanded her knowledge of film sets, and has utilized it to become even more involved in the projects that she acts in.