‘NCIS LA’: Fans Sound off Over Barrett Foa’s Season 11 Leave of Absence

NICS: Los Angeles fans learned Thursday that Barrett Foa will be missing during the five episodes of Season 11 so he can pursue a new opportunity to act on the stage. Foa stars on the CBS series as technical operator and intelligence analyst Eric Beale. His absence will be weaved into the Season 11 story.

On Thursday, a CBS representative confirmed that Foa will not appear in five episodes. In the show’s plot, his character will be sent on a clandestine mission with an outside company. When he comes back, the dangers of the mission follows him back to Los Angeles and the rest of the NCIS team will have to keep him alive.

At the end of Season 10, Eric rushed off to San Francisco, where his girlfriend Nell (Renee Felice Smith) is helping her ailing mother. The rest of the team is trying to stop ISIS sympathizers with the help of JAG characters Harm (David James Elliott) and Mac (Catherine Bell).

Foa had to leave NCIS: LA temporarily because he was cast in the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ production of Angels in America. He plays Prior Walter, the role Andrew Garfield played on Broadway. Meredith Baxter and Peter Frechette will co-star in the production, which runs from Sept. 4 to Oct. 6.

Fans took to Facebook and Twitter to react to Foa’s leave of absence.

“Such an amazing opportunity for him! He’s my favorite, and I’m glad he’ll be back,” one fan wrote on Facebook.

“As long as everyone is back eventually! And good luck to Barrett! Very exciting!” another wrote.

“At least it’s temporarily…..for now. We’ll see what season 11 brings. I wish Barrett luck in this opportunity and he should follow his heart wherever it leads him,” another wrote.

“Thanks CBS for working with your actors to let them achieve all they can,” another fan wrote.

“It’s great they let him do this,” one fan tweeted.

While Foa will be missing, NCIS: LA still boasts a stacked cast with Linda Hunt as Hetty, LL Cool J as Hanna, Chris O’Donnell as G. Callen, Daniela Ruah as Kensi Blye and Eric Christian Olsen as Marty Deeks.

NCIS: LA Season 11 starts on Sunday, Sept. 29 on CBS.

Photo credit: CBS