NCIS star Michael Weatherly has revealed the inspiration behind his portrayal of Tony DiNozzo, the film-loving agent he played for 13 seasons before leaving with his daughter Tali following his partner Ziva David’s presumed death.
On his new podcast, NCIS: Off Duty, Weatherly explained how his Dark Angel co-star Jensen Ackles, who played soldier Alec McDowell, influenced Tony’s characteristics. “He was so loose and free, and I thought, ‘Maybe I’ll imitate him a little bit,’ and I’m such a bad mimic it doesn’t matter, because no one will ever recognize that I’m doing Jensen Ackles,” Weatherly said.
Weatherly mentioned how he started incorporating ideas from classic actors. “I started watching all these movies with Cary Grant, thinking, ‘What did he do? How do I do that?’ and applying so many things to it,” he shared. “I would do Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin from Glengarry Glen Ross, whatever came into my mind to amuse myself, and pretty much p*** off everyone that I was working with,” he added.
He also detailed the “years of experimentation” that helped him define Tony’s character. “I covered my dressing room mirrors with paper so that I did not see my reflection. I didn’t want to go into the hair and makeup trailer, because I didn’t want to think about it. And then, I put all these pieces together and I found through those first two seasons, glimpses of what it could be.”
Earlier this year, it was announced that Weatherly would reunite with Ziva actor Cote de Pablo for a 10-episode series set in Europe. Filming is scheduled to begin in Budapest later this year. The new series will follow Tony, Ziva, and their daughter Tali as they are forced to go on the run across the continent after Tony’s security firm is attacked.
Weatherly and de Pablo will not only star in the new series but also executive produce, with John McNamara serving as showrunner. “We’ve been talking about this story for many years, and now with John McNamara at the helm, we are ready,” the lead actors said following the show’s announcement. “The world of Tony and Ziva promises to be an action-packed rollercoaster fueled by love, danger, tears, and laughter.”
NCIS airs on CBS in the US. Seasons 1-20 are streaming on Disney+ in the UK.
