NCIS Star Michael Weatherly Reveals Surprising Inspiration for Tony DiNozzo Character
Michael Weatherly, known for his role as the film-loving agent Tony DiNozzo on “NCIS,” recently shared which former co-star inspired his portrayal of the beloved character. Weatherly, who played DiNozzo for 13 seasons before leaving with his daughter Tali after his partner Ziva David’s presumed death, opened up on his new podcast “NCIS: Off Duty.”
In the podcast, Weatherly revealed that his “Dark Angel” co-star Jensen Ackles, who played soldier Alec McDowell, influenced his depiction of Tony. “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 also shared how he drew inspiration from classic movie stars and other actors. “I started coming in with all these ideas, watching movies with Cary Grant, thinking, ‘What did he do? How do I do that?’ I would do Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin from Glengarry Glen Ross—whatever came to mind to amuse myself, and pretty much p*** off everyone I was working with,” he added.
Reflecting on his “years of experimentation,” Weatherly described how he found Tony’s character. “I covered my dressing room mirrors with paper so I didn’t see my reflection. I didn’t want to go into the hair and make-up trailer because I didn’t want to think about it. Through those first two seasons, I found glimpses of what it could be.”
In exciting news for fans, it was announced earlier this year that Weatherly will reunite with Cote de Pablo, who played Ziva David, for a 10-episode series set in Europe. “NCIS: Tony & Ziva” will follow Tony, Ziva, and their daughter Tali as they go on the run across the continent after Tony’s security firm is attacked. Filming is set to begin in Budapest later this year.
