Vanessa Lacheyhas immense gratitude for her role onNCIS: Hawai’i.

The franchise’s first female lead teared up while sharing a bit about her time on the show — ahead of the first franchise-wise crossover event. In a conversation onThe TalkMonday, the 42-year-old actress walked onto the stage with tears in her eyes.

“I wasn’t gonna get emotional, but you said I made history and I never really thought about that,” she said. “I love that I get to be the one to be the first female lead. So, a massive thank you to CBS studios and CBS networks.”

Lachey also spoke fondly of herNCIScostarWilmer Valderrama— and teased their chemistry in the upcoming three-hour special. In theirfirst crossover, the plot foreshadowed a possible romantic connection between the agents.

Robert Voets/CBS via Getty

NCIS: Vanessa Lachey as Jane Tennant and Wilmer Valderrama as Special Agent Nicholas Nick Torres.

Off screen, though, Lachey says she and the 42-year-oldThat ’70s Showalum “ended up becoming like brother and sister throughout the decades.” Looking back on how she and Valderrama met early in their careers, she added, “I’m so grateful for that because when you run into the same people, I’m so grateful that we were just friends and nothing ever transpired to mess up the friendship.”

The reason there seems to be a spark? Valderrama and Lachey have brainstormed something deeper than what’s in the script.

“I’ve known him for so long, but we wanted to give the storyline a little something, so him and I secretly came up with this backstory,” she said, though Lachey is keeping her lips sealed on that backstory for now.

Vanessa Lachey.

Of filming with the entireNCIScrew, Lachey added, “It was just like one big happy family.”

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The Talk’sNCIScrossover special airs Monday at 2 p.m. ET/ 1 p.m. PT on CBS and is available to stream on Paramount+. The three-hourNCIScrossover event kicks off Monday night at 8 p.m. ET (cable subscribers can watch the event live on CBS, and Paramount+ Premium subscribers will be able to live stream the event through their local CBS affiliate station).

source: people.com