Who plays Sawyer on NCIS? Everything to know about the cast behind the character

NCIS is a crime television series that follows a team from the United States Navy's Criminal Investigative Service. The team investigates crimes committed by and against personnel from the Navy and Marine Corps.

Zane Holtz plays Special Agent Dale Sawyer and debuted in NCIS during season 18, episode 11, Gut Punch, and kept appearing across several episodes, including 19, 20, and 22.

His character is often placed in cases involving undercover work and inter-agency conflict, with notable tension and collaboration shown with Agent Nick Torres.

Holtz is a Canadian actor who has appeared on the television programs From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series and Katy Keene. He started his professional career in modelling and acting when he was young and continued to build his work experience in television and movie projects.

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Role of Special Agent Dale Sawyer in NCIS

Zane Holtz plays Special Agent Dale Sawyer (Image via Youtube/@BUILD Series)

In NCIS episodes, Special Agent Dale Sawyer participated in multiple investigations and showed his improving ties with Agents Nick Torres and the main team.

In season 18, episode 11, Gut Punch, Sawyer was introduced as a confident NCIS agent posted at the Navy Yard in Washington. During his compliance duty at the Secretary of Defense's mansion, he worked with the main team to fight the COVID pandemic.

They discovered important information related to the murder investigation of an NCIS team member. Sawyer's aggressive nature created conflict, mainly with Agent Nick Torres.

In season 19, episode 12, Fight or Flight, Sawyer returned from his leave to help with an investigation after a Navy pilot died under peculiar circumstances.

Torres still deals professionally with Sawyer even though they continue opposing each other. Although they disagree about many things, they work together to solve the case.

In season 20, episode 12, Big Rig, Sawyer was looking for assistance from Torres concerning his undercover assignment that did not go as planned. He was trying to infiltrate a gang responsible for hijacking trucks loaded with high-value cargo.

When his cover is compromised, Torres goes undercover with him to help dismantle the criminal operation. Their professional partnership rose above their previous competitive attitudes as they turned towards collaboration.

In season 22, episode 15, Moonlit, Sawyer returned as a private security guard who protects rich clients. He took a job to investigate the killing of Naval intelligence officer Robert Mozey. When Torres first saw Sawyer living an expensive lifestyle, he believed the man had illegal earnings.

Sawyer conducted his security operation by disrupting a drug transportation mission. Sawyer and Torres worked together to solve the case and eventually developed an admiration for each other.

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Early life and career of Zane Holtz

Zane Holtz was born on January 18, 1987, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He started modelling at 5 and filmed his first advertising project at 10.

Holtz and his family moved to California in 1999 to pursue his acting career. He attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Los Angeles, honing his craft.

In 2001, Zane Holtz started his acting career as a guest role on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He became famous for his roles as Richie Gecko in From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series (2014-2016) and K.O. Kelly in Katy Keene (2020).

His film work includes The Perks of Being a Wallflower in 2012, Hunter Killer in 2018, and Beyond the Night in 2018. He is married to Chelsea Pagnini and has raised four children together. The family resides in Austin, Texas.

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New episodes of NCIS air every Monday on CBS at 9 pm ET. The episodes can be streamed on Paramount+ the next day.