Stars of NCIS, JAG, and Quantum Leap Honor Donald P. Bellisario on His 90th Birthday
Donald P. Bellisario celebrated his 90th birthday with a special crossover event featuring stars from NCIS, JAG, and Quantum Leap.
On Sunday, August 10, this television legend marked nine decades surrounded by family, friends, and actors from his beloved shows. Notable attendees included NCIS stars Katrina Law, Sean Murray, Brian Dietzen, Gary Cole, and Diona Reasonover, all of whom shared the moment on social media.
The NCIS crew got together with former castmates, now stars of NCIS: Tony & Ziva, Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo. They posed playfully in a series of photo booth snapshots from the elegant celebration, as featured on Law’s Instagram Story.
Weatherly, who portrayed Tony DiNozzo in NCIS before reprising the role in the new Paramount+ spinoff, also shared a close-up of the silly photo on his Instagram.
“I got to sneak into the photo at Don Bellisario’s 90th birthday party, and it felt very [cozy],” he wrote alongside the fun-filled booth picture. “Thank you for everything, Donald P. Bellisario.”
Catherine Bell, who featured as Sarah MacKenzie on JAG, shared her own stories from the evening via Instagram.
“Mr. Mark Horowitz and the wonderful Chas. Floyd Johnson! Executive producers on JAG (and now NCIS),” Bell, 56, wrote as she posted a photo with Bellisario’s longtime producing partners. “Chas. has been with Don for 45 years! Since Magnum PI!”
She reflected, “We all got a bit emotional when we saw each other again! It had been way too long! We spent 9 years, about 230 episodes (16-20 hour days with these amazing men!).”
Bell mentioned that her co-star David James Elliott, who played Harmon Rabb Jr. on JAG, “couldn’t make it this time,” highlighting that she missed Bellisario’s 80th birthday when Elliott was present.
However, she added that Scott Bakula, who led Quantum Leap before heading NCIS: New Orleans, attended to represent Bellisario’s earlier works.
“Tonight, we celebrate Donald Paul Bellisario, a true fighter … and a lover,” Bakula, 70, said during his speech shared via Bell’s Instagram Story. “Look around at this group of kids, and you’ll understand. He is foremost a fighter.”
Bellisario is regarded as a television visionary, having created the original Magnum, P.I. starring Tom Selleck in 1980. He followed that success with Tales of the Gold Monkey in 1982 and Airwolf in 1984, before making waves again with the original Quantum Leap in 1989.
Bellisario’s legacy extended with the creation of JAG in 1995, which led to the spinoff NCIS in 2003, now entering its 23rd season this October. His influence also includes the 2018 reboot of Magnum P.I. and the new Quantum Leap that debuted in 2022.
Beyond his impressive television legacy, Bellisario has also nurtured a large family through multiple marriages.
Donald and his first wife, Margaret Schaffran, had four children: Joy Bellisario-Jenkins, David Bellisario, Leslie Bellisario-Ingham, and Julie Bellisario-Watson.
David continued in his father’s footsteps, working as a producer on NCIS: Los Angeles until his passing in 2020. Julie is also part of the entertainment industry, having produced NCIS and JAG.
Donald was married to Lynn Halpern from 1979 to 1984, and they share son Michael Bellisario, who had a recurring role on JAG and appeared on NCIS.
With his third wife, Airwolf actress Deborah Pratt, he welcomed two children: actress Troian Bellisario, known for Pretty Little Liars, and son Nicholas Bellisario. The couple divorced in 1991.
In November 1988, Donald married Vivienne Murray, who has two sons from a prior marriage, Chad W. Murray and Sean Murray, known for playing Timothy McGee on NCIS.
