'NCIS': What Maria Bello Had to Say After Filming Her Final Episode

Maria Bello's final episode of NCIS aired on Tuesday night. Bello, who played Jack Sloane, wrapped filming on NCIS back in December. At the time, the actor penned a lengthy message in which she spoke about the memories that she made while on the set of the CBS procedural.

On Dec. 8, Bello posted an array of photos of herself with some of her NCIS co-stars. In one of the snaps, she can be seen hugging star Mark Harmon, who plays Jethro Gibbs and was a love interest for Sloane during the course of the series. Bello's caption began, "And that's a wrap for Jack Sloane @ncis_cbs !!! I've learned many things on this journey for the last three and a half years. I learned about commitment and community. I've learned that the woman I am enjoys process over product. I've never worked with a kinder, more generous group of people."

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Bello noted that she was especially thankful to those behind NCIS for supporting her as her fiancée, Dominique Crenn, received treatment for breast cancer. She added, "I only had the privilege of standing by Dom's side during cancer because my producers worked so hard to make sure I was there for every treatment." The actor continued to write that she gave a speech to the cast and crew on her last day of filming. While she added that you may encounter "a—holes" in the entertainment industry, that was not the case during her time on NCIS.

The NCIS star wrote that she "only" encountered "a profoundly decent group of people who care more about each other and the world in general than what is in it for them." She added, "I understand why this show after 18 years is the most watched in the world - you must all feel our love. Keep watching. I have a feeling there will be many more years to come. Thank you to all of my pals at NCIS and to all of our fans. I am truly grateful." Bello originally joined the NCIS family back in 2017. In July, it was reported that she would not be renewing her contract for the show. Even though she noted that she would be leaving NCIS, Bello did decide to return for Season 18 in order to wrap up her character's story, as Season 17 was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.