‘NCIS: LA’: Daniela Ruah Previews Kensi & Deeks’ Journey to Becoming Parents

Eric Christian Olsen as Deeks, Daniela Ruah as Kensi in NCIS Los Angeles
Fall Preview
Sonja Flemming/CBS

“They just want a little kid to love,” Daniela Ruah says of her NCIS: Los Angeles character, Kensi Blye, and husband Marty Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen), who’ve coped with heartbreaking infertility. Now the brave couple start the adoption process.

A case early on in Season 13 involving Asian American hate crimes will make the NCIS special agents—both of whom had tough childhoods—aware of problems their new family member could face.

“Kensi and Deeks ticked the box [on the adoption application] that race wasn’t an issue but didn’t think what that might entail,” Ruah says. “You want this child to relate to their natural-born culture and fit in.”

The actress is proud producers have talked to specialists and researched the realities of adoption. And she has personal reasons to root for Densi: “I know how much joy and fulfillment having children has brought my life. Kensi’s seen the most ugly, terrible criminals”—stalker Kessler (Frank Military) is still out there—“[so she and Deeks] just want love and positivity in their home life.”

NCIS: Los Angeles, Season 13 Premiere, Sunday, October 10, 9/8c, CBS

This is an excerpt from TV Guide Magazine’s 2021 Returning Favorites issue. For more inside scoop on the new fall TV season, pick up the issue, on newsstands now.