Michael Weatherly Thought One NCIS Scene Would Get Him Fired
It isn't uncommon for actors to improvise and go off-script. However, "NCIS" star Michael Weatherly feared getting fired for experimenting and being a goofball on the set during the show's early years. While speaking to TVInsider, Sean Murray recalled a time during Season 1 when his co-star impersonated Bill Murray's "Caddyshack" character even though it wasn't on the page. While Weatherly expected disciplinary action for going against the grain, his antics yielded a more positive outcome.
"I just remember going and sitting in the cast chairs with Michael, and Michael turning to me and he goes, 'I think I may get fired,' Murray recalled. "I think I may get fired for what I just did. [Laughs] Because none of it was in the actual script. And then we got word back that they really liked it and to do more of it. So that was kind of a fun thing."
Furthermore, Weatherly's character, Tony DiNozzo, became a series mainstay until Season 13, when Weatherly left the show for unexpectedly romantic reasons. That said, the "NCIS" original returned for Season 21's Ducky tribute episode, and he will have a role to play in the franchise moving forward.
Tony DiNozzo will lead a new NCIS spin-off
"NCIS" remains one of the most-watched shows on primetime TV and it's spawned a very successful franchise that includes "NCIS: Los Angeles" and "NCIS: Hawai'i." The next spin-off will visit another continent, as Michael Weatherly and Cote De Pablo will lead the cast of the proverbial "NCIS: Europe."
The 10-episode series will see Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David enjoying a peaceful life in Paris until they are called back into action following a major security breach. Thus begins an expedition across Europe to find the mysterious criminals responsible for the dilemma.
Sean Murray, who plays Timothy McGee on "NCIS," might also appear in the upcoming show. In the same interview with TVInsider, he said that a reunion between his character, Tony, and Ziva on "NCIS: Europe" is possible, but nothing has been set in stone yet. This isn't the only spin-off series with blasts from the past that fans can look forward to, as Mark Harmon is set to return for "NCIS: Origins."