You Wanted to Know: On NCIS, was Pam Dawber the mysterious red-head in the silver car?

Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and the mysterious red-head

The Mercedes-Benz St. 500

On NCIS, who portrayed the mysterious red-headed woman who sometimes picked up Special Agent Leroy Jethro Giibbs (Mark Harmon) in a silver car?  (The car was identified as a Mercedes-Benz St. 500 on the Internet Movie Cars Database)  Was it Mark's real-life wife, Pam Dawber?  The answer is NO.  The mystery woman was played by Australian Vivienne Bellisario (nee Lee), the fourth wife of NCIS creator Donald P. Bellisario.  They were married on November 27, 1998.

Vivienne was raised in Woolgoolga, a tiny beach town in Australia.  At the age of 16, she was Australia's National Fencing Champiion.  A talented woman, Vivien is also a painter who worked under the guidance of portrait artist Jeremy Lipking.

Donald and Vivienne Bellisario

Vivienne Bellisario is also the mother of Sean Murray (born November 14, 1977). Sean has played Timothy McGee.on NCIS since 2003. Sean's father is Craig Harland Murray, Vivienne's first husband, and  Donald P. Bellisario is his stepfather.

Prior to NCIS, Sean had a recurring role as Danny Walden in the military drama JAG (NCIS is a spin-off from JAG).   In 2000, he appeared in an episode of Boston Public called "Chapter 3" (Season 1, Episode 3, Air Date" November 6, 2000). He also had a role in a 1995 episode of the medical drama ER entitled "A Miracle Happens Here" (Season 2, Episode 10, Air Date: December 14, 1995).  His other television credits include appearances on Touched by an Angel (1999) and a recurring role as Zane Grey Hart in the Western/Comedy/Drama  Harts of the West from 1993 to 1994.

Sean Murray 

On November 26, 2005, Sean Murray wed Carrie James. They have two children, a daughter named Caitlyn Melissa Murray (born May 3, 2007), and a son, River James Murray (born April 22, 2010).

Sean Murray and Carrie James with family

END NOTES

* According to the NCIS website, the mysterious red-headed woman was often seen in the company of Special Agent Gibbs during Season One and Season Two.  Her last appearance to date was in the Season Three episode "Silver War."  Gibbs' colleagues (Anthony DiNozzo, Timothy McGee, Caitlin Todd and Ziva David were curious about the woman.  However, they never directly questioned Gibba about her.  Therefore, the mysterious red-head remains mysterious.  She may have been a girlfriend of Gibbs, but that was never clearly established.

* Sean Murray has a younger brother, Chad W. Murray, who is an NCIS producer.

* Donald Bellisario suffers from a neurological condition known as hydrocephalus or "water on the brain."  This condition causes disorientation and memory loss.

- Joanne