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The opening episodes of “NCIS” Season 23, titled “Prodigal Son,” bring an intense storyline to the forefront as they introduce Alden Parker’s sister. Alden, portrayed by Gary Cole, is an NCIS Supervisory Special Agent who has gone off the grid in pursuit of vengeance for his father’s murder, committed by Carla Marino, played by Rebecca De Mornay. His sister, Harriet, holds the rank of Vice Admiral and is tasked with capturing Alden by any means necessary, complicating matters as the siblings navigate their shared grief over the death of their father, Roman Parker, played by Francis X. McCarthy.
The second part of “Prodigal Son” is replete with poignant exchanges between Alden and Harriet Parker, the latter portrayed by Nancy Travis. A seasoned actress familiar with crime dramas, Travis has appeared in series such as “Fallen Angels,” “Numb3rs,” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” She has also ventured into the horror genre, notably as Joyce Reardon in Stephen King’s miniseries “Rose Red.” Despite this variety, Travis is perhaps most recognized for her work in comedy, including her role as Christine “Chris” Connor, Ted Danson’s love interest in “Becker.”
Travis gained widespread recognition for her portrayal of Vanessa Baxter in “Last Man Standing,” where she starred alongside Tim Allen. The sitcom enjoyed a successful nine-season run from 2011 to 2021. After the series concluded, Travis and Allen found it challenging to part ways, eventually reuniting for Allen’s new sitcom “Shifting Gears,” where Travis made a guest appearance. Recently, she has also taken on roles such as Isabel McMurray, the head of a ranching family in Hallmark TV’s “Ride,” and Patty, an ambitious socialite in NBC’s mystery drama “Grosse Pointe Garden Society.”
Travis is arguably best-known for playing Vanessa Baxter, the wife of Tim Allen’s Mike Baxter in “Last Man Standing.” The sitcom ran for nine seasons between 2011 and 2021, with both Travis and Allen finding it difficult to say goodbye when the series ended. They have since reconnected for Allen’s latest sitcom “Shifting Gears,” in which Travis has guest-starred. Other notable recent TV credits include Isabel McMurray, the matriarch of a ranching family in Hallmark TV’s “Ride,” and the shameless social climber Patty in the NBC whodunnit “Grosse Pointe Garden Society.”
Nancy Travis was a movie star in the 1990s
TriStar Pictures
Older “NCIS” viewers will probably recognize Nancy Travis as Sylvia, the sweet but overwhelmed mother of little Mary from the “Three Men and a Baby” films. Or perhaps they will recall her as another Harriet — Harriet Michaels, a possible killer who nonetheless charms Mike Myers’ Charlie MacKenzie in the dark 1993 romantic comedy flick “So I Married an Axe Murderer.” That same year, Travis starred alongside Jeff Bridges, Kiefer Sutherland, and Sandra Bullock in the psychological thriller film “The Vanishing,” George Sluizer’s remake of his critically acclaimed French-Dutch film of the same name.
The ’90s was a golden era for Travis, who went on to appear in a number of big screen comedy movies before the decade was done, including “Greedy,” “Destiny Turns on the Radio,” and Whoopi Goldberg’s “Bogus.” The New York native gravitated toward television as the 2000s approached and she became known largely for her work on the small screen, including voice roles in shows like “Duckman,” “Superman: The Animated Series,” and “The Wild Thornberrys.” She does, however, still pop up in the odd movie: Travis featured in the Hilary Swank-led Christian drama film “Ordinary Angels” in 2024, and, more recently, she played the wife of Dennis Quaid’s police chief in 2025’s “Sovereign.”
