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What happened to Linda Hunt on NCIS: Los Angeles?

By Michael Weyer

“If the Fates Allow” - Pictured: Linda Hunt (Henrietta "Hetty" Lange). Before Christmas, Hetty assigns Callen the case of his former foster brother and his wife who, upon reentry into the U.S., are framed for smuggling drugs across the border in her oxygen tanks. Also, Deeks is struggling with losing his job at NCIS, at a special time on NCIS: LOS ANGELES, Sunday, Dec. 13 (9:00–10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Screen Grab/CBS ©2020 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
“If the Fates Allow” - Pictured: Linda Hunt (Henrietta "Hetty" Lange). Before Christmas, Hetty assigns Callen the case of his former foster brother and his wife who, upon reentry into the U.S., are framed for smuggling drugs across the border in her oxygen tanks. Also, Deeks is struggling with losing his job at NCIS, at a special time on NCIS: LOS ANGELES, Sunday, Dec. 13 (9:00–10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Screen Grab/CBS ©2020 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. /
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The series finale of NCIS: Los Angeles was a huge event that had major changes for all the characters. But did that include Hetty? Find out!

Caution: This article has SPOILERS for the series finale of NCIS: Los Angeles.

The conclusion of the two part finale had the team quickly settling a case of smuggling and dirty cops. They then turned to the long-awaited wedding of Callen and Anna. The pair decided that rather than a huge fancy and expensive wedding, they’d simply get hitched at a local courthouse that very day.

The wedding went off without a hitch as the team celebrated. Meanwhile, Kensi and Deeks were rocked by the unexpected news that Kensi was pregnant. Roundtree decided to accept a settlement in his suit against the LAPD and everyone seemed happy.

Just as the wedding was wrapping up, Callen got a letter from Hetty saying she wished she could be there and how much she counted the team as family. However, she hinted she was in some sort of danger and left two tickets to Morocco to find her.

Jetting over, Callen and Sam found a camp run by former colleague Nell Jones (Renee Felice Smith), who was leading a makeshift team of former ally Nate (Peter Cambor), troublesome CIA officer Sabatino (Erik Palladino) and a “new guy” played by Chris O’Donnell’s real-life son, Chip. They explained Hetty was in trouble and the series ended with Callen and Sam off to find her.

So why did Linda Hunt not make a live appearance on the show?

Why was Linda Hunt absent from the NCIS: Los Angeles finale?

While a major presence for most of the show’s run, Hetty has been absent for the last few seasons. A key reason was Linda Hunt was wary of traveling to Los Angeles for filming during the Covid-19 pandemic. The series has explained it as Hetty off on one of her mysterious missions.

Speaking to TV Line, showrunner R. Scott Gemmill explained that they had scripted the finale on the idea of Hetty making a surprise appearance, but it simply came down to Linda Hunt being unavailable.

"“It was sort of a touch-and-go situation. Had we had another season, or even this season, I really hoped that if Linda had been available, that’s probably what the finale would have been — our guys going to pull her butt out of the fire. But it just wasn’t in the cards. So, we mixed it up with having them going [to Morocco] thinking they may find Hetty, and instead there’s a surprise with finding Nell in her stead.”"

It would have been fun to finally see Hunt back on screen, but sadly for fans, the timing just wasn’t right. Thus, NCIS: Los Angeles ends with Callen and Sam on another adventure to find their mentor, who likely is as tough as ever.

NCIS: Los Angeles seasons 1-14 are streaming on Paramount+.

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