For Todd Lasance, filming NCIS: Sydney was a nostalgic experience. After living and working in Hollywood for 10 years, the former Home And Away star found himself back where his acting journey began – on Sydney’s northern beaches.
“I took [his NCIS: Sydney co-stars] Sean [Sagar] and Olivia [Swann] to Palm Beach [where H&A is filmed],” Todd, 38, tells TV WEEK. “We took photos out the front of the set. That was cool for me – it’s always special to go back there, because it’s the show that started everything for me.”
Todd plays AFP Liaison Officer Sergeant Jim “JD” Dempsey.
(Image: Supplied)Todd made his acting debut on teen drama series Blue Water High in 2006, but it was the following year, when he played bad boy Aden Jefferies in H&A, that he became nationally recognised.
In the hugely successful NCIS franchise’s latest series, NCIS: Sydney, Todd plays AFP Liaison Officer Sergeant Jim “JD” Dempsey, described as a humble country boy with a knack for interrogation and a dry sense of humour.
“The beauty of NCIS is that it always has that light, beautiful humour,” the actor says.
“It also allowed us to grab these lines and make it our own. The cultural differences between the American and the Australian crew – NCIS versus AFP – in themselves were comedy, about who has better coffee and who drives on the ‘right’ side of the road.”
Todd Lasance returned to his roots, filming on Sydney’s northern beaches where he previously filmed Home And Away years ago.
(Image: Supplied)The humour didn’t end with the script. Todd says his British co-star Olivia, who plays US special agent Michelle Mackey, gave him an unforgettable send-off on his last day of filming.
“Olivia dressed up as JD, in his exact clothes, RM Williams boots and her hair pinned up short,” Todd says with a laugh. “She looked so identical to me, everyone thought she was my stunt double. I really appreciated that.” Another highlight was the iconic sites they shoot at and the authenticity of the “extras” they filmed with.
“I’ve lived in Sydney, but I saw places I didn’t even know existed,” Todd says.
“We worked closely with the Australian Navy, with sailors on the battleships, the aircraft carriers, the Seahawk helicopters. It was the real deal. Oh, and the extras on the base? Not extras – they were actual Navy crew.”
Todd recalls how the cast all shared stories about the roles that led them to be in NCIS: Sydney together. “All of us getting the gig was serendipitous,” he says. “So many things had to align in the process – our chemistry reads, and having that personal connection with the characters straight away that we could bring to the roles. It’s been one of the greatest career experiences of my life.”
Todd’s favourite NCIS franchise (aside from Sydney, for obvious reasons), is NCIS: Los Angeles, thanks to its “grittiness”. It could also be because Todd called the Californian city home for a decade after packing his bags in 2009 to pursue a career in the US. The roles he landed included Julius Caesar in Spartacus: War Of The Damned and Julian in The Vampire Diaries.
“Spartacus was one of the best experiences I’ve had,” he says. “We became a family, similar to what we have on NCIS. I feel fortunate to have had a career and been supported by the industry here, but not a day goes by that I’m not grateful I’ve been able to have a career overseas.”
However, Hollywood was never going to be a forever home, as Todd and his partner, Jordan Wilcox, had other plans for their future. “LA is another planet,” he says. “It’s a whole beast in itself. The industry is so immersive there, but it was never going to be a long-term situation, particularly with a family.”
NCIS: Sydney premieres on Friday November 10 on Paramount +.
(Image: supplied.)Todd met Jordan in 2015 when he was based in the US. The couple welcomed a daughter, Charlie Rose, in 2016 and, after returning to Australia in 2019, made Queensland’s Gold Coast home. They married in the NSW Hunter Valley, two hours north of Sydney, in 2020, with Charlie as their adorable flower girl.
In May this year, their family grew with the birth of their son, Beau – right before filming for NCIS: Sydney began. “My heart has been in two places,” Todd says. “I haven’t been able to be home as much as I would have liked. I’ve loved having the opportunity to work, but I’m missing them deeply. I’m excited to get back home and soak up that family time again.”
Although he was away from his loved ones for most of the filming, the star was lucky enough to have Jordan and Charlie visit him on set. He calls the entire NCIS: Sydney journey, and filming a blockbuster US series in Australia, “the achievement of a lifetime”.
“Little Charlie didn’t want to leave [the set],” he says. “That was special for me. This whole experience has been a dream.”
Todd says that “NCIS has been one of the greatest experiences of [his] life”.
(Image: supplied.)
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