NCIS: New York Star Jennifer Beals Sheds Light On Robyn's Backstory — And Gushes About Her On-Screen Dog

Jennifer Beals told Parade that Dunkin, an 11-year-old mixed-breed dog, is her favorite co-star on NCIS: New York, and that the rest of the cast loves him too. "He's so loving. He loves everybody," Beals said in the interview, originally published by Parade on Nov 10, 2026. She keeps toys in her dressing room and gives him a new one each time he comes to set.

Beals personally chose Dunkin to be Robyn Wells' canine companion because she felt the dog's mature age reflected a long-term, deeply bonded relationship with her character. Dunkin's owner, animal trainer Haley Deecken, said he howls when he comes to the studio because he is so excited to arrive, and Beals said she feels the same way. "I'm surprised I'm not howling in the back of the van I'm really excited to get to work, too."

The work behind one scene was demanding for both dog and actor. Beals described a sequence in which Dunkin had to go from her office through the bullpen, where somebody is being shoved out the door and "there's a lot of screaming going on." The dog had to stay by her side without a leash, walk with her to the kitchen, sit beside her through another scene, and then return to her office. "So that is like a solid 5 pages maybe," Beals said.

Beals said she does everything she can to ease his anxiety so he can perform. "I want it so because he's so smart and he so wants to get it right," she said, adding that she knows a rehearsal with his trainer will not be the same as working with her. "It's a joy, because when he gets it right, he's so pleased with himself. It's the cutest thing. I want him to succeed."

Beals plays Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the New York NCIS field office, working with LL COOL J, reprising Sam Hanna from NCIS: Los Angeles, and Scott Caan as newly created character Nick Schaeffer. She said the role was an easy yes when showrunner Byron Balasco presented it to her, describing Robyn as tough, funny, and the owner of a dog in the office she loves. Balasco also described her as "the kind of leader who wants all of her team to be critical thinkers and isn't a yeller" but who has "something more inclusive."

Beals also explained why Robyn stays in the office rather than joining Sam and Nick in the field. "When I'm in that office, and I'm looking at all the agents that are in the background, it's not as if we have one case happening; there are several cases," she said. The show focuses on one case at a time, so she has plenty to do at headquarters, and "frankly, my skill set is better served being in the office."

NCIS: New York airs Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and streams the next day on Paramount+.