NCIS star Michael Weatherly has confirmed that a third character will play a central role in the new spin-off series, NCIS: Tony & Ziva.
The upcoming series focuses on Tony (Weatherly) and Ziva (Cote de Pablo) as they raise their daughter, Tali, in Paris. After Tony’s security company is attacked, the family goes on the run across Europe, trying to balance their family life while uncovering who is targeting them. Despite the title, Weatherly explained at a Monte-Carlo press event that Tali is a central character, dealing with the revelation that her mother is alive.
“When you think about Tali, who is really the third character in Tony & Ziva, the idea for her to think that her mother was dead, and then her mother is alive, but was running around the world and didn’t come home to protect her,” Weatherly said (via Variety). “Trust doesn’t mean truth or honesty. Just because I’m telling you the truth doesn’t mean you can trust me. You have a daughter who’s going to question the story. ‘No dad – you told me she was dead, and she just walked through the door.’ ‘Yeah, but your mom had reasons.’ ‘No, no, no. The facts are the facts.’ And then what are your relationships like? Where do you stand with the truth? And who do you trust? These are the core principles of the show.”
Cote de Pablo, who returned to NCIS as a guest star in season 17, also teased elements of the spin-off, reuniting on-screen with Weatherly after more than a decade. “The idea of trust and how this relationship moves forward is something that intrigued us as actors,” she said. “We’re addressing trust, parenting together with this child, and making things work amidst many challenges.”
NCIS: Tony & Ziva currently has no release date.
