TV NEWS
Everyone On NCIS: Hawaii Was Unprepared For Lucy and Kate's Extreme Height Difference
By JENNIFER MASHUGA
Fans of “NCIS: Hawaii” have responded enthusiastically to the on-screen romance of Kate Whistler (Tori Anderson) and Lucy Tara (Yasmine Al-Bustami).
However, because Anderson and Al-Bustami were cast during the pandemic and via Zoom, the production team had no idea of their extreme height difference.
Executive producer Jan Nash told TVLine in a 2021 interview that she had no idea there was a five-inch height difference between the two actors until they showed up on set.
Nash said, “[Yasmine and Tori] got these roles because they were the actors who really sold the parts in their auditions, and then they showed up and we were like, ‘Oh my!’”
Anderson, for her part, also admitted to TVLine that she was taken off guard, and while Kate initially wore heels, towering over Al-Bustami caused the actor to switch to flats.
Anderson did, however, think it was fun to work with the height difference, even though it meant the show had to get more creative filming the couple together.
She said, “So, yeah, Yaz had to step on a few boxes, and I had to put some flats on! But we made it work.”