Who Is Kurt Yaeger & How Did He Make Franchise History?

As Variety outlines, Kurt Yaeger lost one of his legs in a motorbike crash prior to the start of his acting career. Oftentimes, he therefore plays characters with disabilities, like Sergeant Freddie Linn on "NCIS," who can't move his legs. All the while, Yaeger actively attempts to aid other actors with disabilities in finding work. Specifically, he highlighted how the various "NCIS" characters he plays are notably distinct from one another and, therefore, positive representation. In Yaeger's estimation, it's important that a disabled actor isn't cast solely because they're disabled, but simply because they're capable of a quality performance.

Master Sergeant Strand, who Yaeger plays on "NCIS: Hawai'i," is not disabled. "It's starting to change where people are like, 'well, you can play any character.' I've always been able to play any character. 95% of acting is from the chest up!" he said.

Yaeger also praised CBS vice president Claudia Lyon for helping compile a database of disabled performers to send showrunners during casting. "We want to make sure that everyone gets invited to the party and that everyone has an opportunity to read for a role that they could be right for. And I found that that wasn't happening for that community," Lyon told Variety, emphasizing the impact of Yaeger's work and her contributions to such initiatives.