Why Vanessa Lachey Is Hoping Her NCIS: Hawai'i Character Is Inspiring

While many fans of the "NCIS" franchise have a soft spot for the original series, the family of crime shows added "NCIS: Hawai'i" to its roster with great success (via Deadline). The new series has quickly become one of CBS' most successful shows, and it recently got picked up for another full season, along with "FBI: International."

"These two terrific new dramas are off to a tremendous start," said Kelly Kahl, president of CBS Entertainment. "They have significantly strengthened and improved our lineup on their respective nights and are generating huge increases on our streaming platforms as well. We applaud the talented producers, writers, and casts on their compelling storytelling and performances, which are clearly resonating with viewers."

Leading the cast of "NCIS: Hawai'i" is Vanessa Lachey, who has become a breakout star on the show (via Sioux City Journal). Several factors make her character important to the franchise, and she hopes she's an inspiration to viewers for this reason.

Vanessa Lachey leads a diverse team on the breakout hit "NCIS: Hawai'i." Her role as Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant is especially important, as she is the first woman to lead the cast on an "NCIS" show, and Lachey hopes her character is inspiring to fans (via Yahoo! News).

She told Deadline that she is proud to have such an impactful role on the show. "I love that [executive producers] Matt [Bosack], Chris [Silber], and Jan [Nash] are the ones to take the lead on this," she said. "And there are female NCIS SACs out there, they just aren't on TV. For me to be the one to represent that, I'm honored and humbled.

Lachey added: "I hope people see her, this woman who is a minority, leading this group with grace, compassion, and vulnerability. For me, this is the perfect role because she's human."