Caitlyn Melissa Murray is the daughter of actor Sean Murray and Carrie James. Television viewers may recognize her by her screen credit, Cay Ryan Murray, from her appearance as Teagan Fields in NCIS. The role brought her together with her father on the series where he plays Special Agent Timothy McGee.
For Sean, it was an unusual meeting of family life and work. For Cay, it was an opportunity to bring her experience in theater to a television production.
What made the appearance special? Beyond the family connection, her character had a meaningful place in the episode’s investigation—and her father later spoke warmly about how she handled the experience.
Caitlyn Melissa Murray Quick Bio
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name used in biographical listings | Caitlyn Melissa Murray |
| Screen credit | Cay Ryan Murray |
| Listed birth date | May 3, 2007 |
| Age | 19 as of September 2026, based on the listed date |
| Father | Sean Murray |
| Mother | Carrie James |
| Younger brother | River Murray |
| Known television role | Teagan Fields in NCIS |
| Episode | “The Brat Pack” |
| Season and episode | Season 19, Episode 19 |
| Original airdate | May 2, 2022 |
TVmaze provides her listed birth date and episode credit, while CBS’s official announcement confirms the role and broadcast date.
Who Is Caitlyn Melissa Murray?
Caitlyn Melissa Murray is best known publicly through her family and her guest appearance on NCIS. Entertainment coverage connects the name Caitlyn with Sean’s daughter, whom he introduced to viewers as Cay Ryan Murray.
That explains why readers encounter both names. When discussing her acting work, Cay Ryan Murray is the name used by CBS and in the episode’s credits.
There is no need to invent a personal explanation for the difference. The useful distinction is simply between the name found in biographical coverage and the name attached to her television performance.
Her appearance also gives readers something concrete to explore. Rather than being known only as an actor’s daughter, she has a documented screen role of her own.
Her Parents and Family Background
Cay’s parents are Sean Murray and Carrie James. They married in November 2005 and welcomed their daughter in 2007, followed by their son, River, in 2010.
Carrie’s professional background includes education and business. She worked as an educator and later established the Business Relationship Alliance, a network supporting women entrepreneurs.
Sean and Carrie separated in 2024, and their divorce was finalized in May 2025. Public reporting establishes those dates, but it does not explain their children’s private experience of the separation.
Her Father’s Acting Career
Sean is widely recognized as Timothy McGee, the thoughtful computer specialist who became an important member of the NCIS team.
His earlier roles include Thackery Binx in Hocus Pocus and appearances in JAG. He began acting when he was young, giving him his own experience of learning the profession before adulthood.
That background adds context to his daughter’s television debut. He understood the acting side of the job, but watching his own child enter that workplace brought a different set of feelings.
Her Interest in Acting Began Before NCIS
Cay’s television appearance did not come without earlier performance experience.
In a May 2022 interview, Parade reported that she had spent years participating in theater through the Youth Academy of Dramatic Arts. The article described NCIS as her first substantial television or film credit.
Sean explained that acting brought her happiness. His priority, he said, was supporting something she enjoyed.
Theater and television share some basic skills: understanding a character, learning dialogue and responding to other performers. Their working methods, however, can feel very different.
A stage scene usually continues in front of a live audience. Television scenes may be repeated for different camera angles, with pauses for lighting, sound and other adjustments.
Caitlyn Melissa Murray’s NCIS Appearance
Cay appeared in “The Brat Pack,” which aired on May 2, 2022. It was the nineteenth episode of the show’s nineteenth season.
CBS announced her guest role in advance and identified her as Sean Murray’s daughter. She played Teagan Fields, one of the teenagers connected to an investigation involving break-ins at a military base.
For viewers who knew the family connection, the episode carried an extra layer of interest. They were watching a father and daughter act together, even though their characters were not related.
That distinction is important: Teagan is not McGee’s daughter in the story. Cay plays a separate fictional character who crosses paths with him during a case.
Who Is Teagan Fields?
Teagan is a teenager with strong computer skills. Those abilities place her close to the mystery and make McGee a natural person to speak with her.
The story develops beyond a straightforward interview with a suspect. McGee gradually understands more about her situation, and Teagan becomes important to resolving the investigation.
The role therefore involves more than briefly appearing in the background. Cay has a character with a place in the plot and scenes that depend on interaction with the main cast.
Why McGee Connects With Her
McGee’s technical knowledge helps him understand Teagan’s skills, but the connection also becomes personal.
The episode allows him to approach a troubled teenager with patience and attention. Their growing trust gives the investigation an emotional thread alongside its questions about computers and crime.
For a guest performer, that creates an interesting challenge. The character must feel believable while moving between suspicion, resistance and cooperation.
What Sean Murray Said About Working With His Daughter
Sean’s comments about filming offer the clearest account of the experience behind the scenes.
Speaking to Parade, he praised Cay’s professionalism. During breaks and preparations, he sometimes felt as though he was simply working with another actor.
He had worried about the activity surrounding a television shoot: crew members, instructions and constant changes. According to Sean, she stayed focused and handled the environment well.
His response shows the difference between supporting a child’s interest and seeing that child carry out a professional task. On set, he could observe how she worked.
The Moment Work and Family Came Together
In a later interview with Entertainment Weekly, Sean recalled seeing his daughter’s photograph displayed on a screen in the fictional squad room.
It briefly unsettled him because he had kept work and home separate in his mind. Suddenly, someone central to his family life was part of the case his character was discussing.
He also said he valued having a lasting recording of the two of them acting together. The episode would remain something they could look back on.
That is a more personal reason for remembering the appearance than ratings or career predictions. It captured a shared experience between two performers who also happened to be family.
A Wider Family Connection to Television
Cay was not the first member of Sean’s family to appear alongside him on NCIS.
His stepsister, actress Troian Bellisario, played McGee’s sister, Sarah. Sean’s stepfather is television producer and writer Donald P. Bellisario, while his brother Chad has worked in television production.
These connections explain why the family name appears in several television stories. They should not be used to assume how Cay’s casting happened, since the sources reviewed do not provide a detailed audition account.
The evidence supports her role, earlier theater experience and her father’s description of her work. Anything beyond that needs its own source.
Is She a Regular NCIS Cast Member?
Her documented appearance is a guest role in “The Brat Pack.” CBS’s announcement identifies her as a guest star, and TVmaze lists that episode under her credits.
A guest appearance can be a valuable early step, but it is different from joining the regular cast. It also does not automatically establish a long filmography or guarantee future episodes.
For readers searching for her work, the most useful starting point is the episode itself.
What Is Known About Her Life Beyond Acting?
Much less has been reliably reported about Cay’s adult plans than about her 2022 appearance.
The available sources do not establish a complete current career schedule, personal net worth or future casting commitments. Her father’s earnings cannot be used to calculate her finances.
Likewise, an early acting credit does not tell us whether someone will pursue television full-time. Young performers can continue acting, explore other creative work or choose a different direction.
Her documented story already has a clear beginning: theater experience, a television guest role and a shared screen appearance that her father described with pride.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Caitlyn Melissa Murray?
She is Sean Murray and Carrie James’s daughter, credited as Cay Ryan Murray in her NCIS appearance.
Are Caitlyn Melissa Murray and Cay Ryan Murray the same person?
Entertainment reporting and television listings connect both names to Sean Murray’s daughter. Cay Ryan Murray is her NCIS screen credit.
How old is she?
TVmaze lists her birthday as May 3, 2007. Based on that date, she is 19 as of September 2026.
Which NCIS episode features her?
She appears in Season 19, Episode 19, “The Brat Pack,” first broadcast on May 2, 2022.
Who does she play?
She plays Teagan Fields, a teenager involved in the episode’s investigation.
Had she acted before joining NCIS?
Yes. A 2022 Parade interview reported that she had several years of youth-theater experience before the television role.
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