It's been announced that Micheal Weatherly, who plays 'very' Special Agent Tony DiNozzo will bow out in the final episode of the current season. The departure - reported first by industry site TVLine, is something of a surprise, though cast-member David McCallum let something slip in a recent interview and Weatherly had been apparently considering it for some time.
There have been some changes to the original NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) cast - headed by industry veteran Mark Harmon - over the years. Sasha Alexander (currently in another detective show Rizzoli & Isles) played Caitlin Todd in the first fifty episodes. Her replacement, transplanted Mossad Agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) appeared in the show from the third season through to her own departure at the start of the eleventh season in 2013. Ziva's departure was highly controversial both on and off screen. Despite normal contract negotiations with many of the cast Cote de Pablo was expected to return to the show full-time but declined to do so late in negotiations. CBS and the actress announced that she would briefly return to 'sign-off' on the popular character whose 'will-they/won't-they' chemistry with DiNozzo had been a cornerstone of the show for some time. A small sub-section of fans claimed she'd been forced off the show, but all parties denied this.
The show was originally planted as a potential spin-off in the 2003 season of the CBS series JAG (1995-2005) and has since eclipsed that (and any other American series) in the ratings. Other original regulars include Pauley Perrette who plays goth Forensic Scientist Abby Sciuto and David McCallum who plays pathologist Donald 'Ducky' Mallard.
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Weatherly's DiNozzo has also been a mainstay - the joker and womaniser of the team - since the very first episode, but a character that has matured over the years - with various story-lines showing he was considered to be capable and mature enough to be offered the opportunities to lead other teams of his own. It's not known whether DiNozzo's character will be killed off in heroic fashion or whether the door will be left open for him to return... or for Tony to be part of another spin-off (the franchise currently has two spin-offs: NCIS: LA and NCIS: New Orleans. A backdoor pilot NCIS:Red about a mobile team travelling around the US as needed did not go forward as a series).
“After 13 years on NCIS, Michael Weatherly is leaving the show at the end of this season. He is a valued part of the CBS family, and the immense charm and talent he brings to the screen as ‘Very’ Special Agent Tony DiNozzo has helped make NCIS what it is today – the No. 1 drama in the world. We thank Michael for all of his contributions to this successful franchise and look forward to continuing to develop projects with him as part of our ongoing development deal," CBS said in a statement.
Weatherly - whose previous hits included Dark Angel, in which he starred with ex-fiancee Jessica Alba - has tweeted that... "DiNozzo is a wonderful, quixotic character and I couldn’t have had more fun playing him over the past 13 seasons…. (CBS' CEO) Les Moonves and CBS gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. I will miss the amazing crew and cast, who are like family to me, and to the fans all over the world — THANK YOU, it’s been a fantastic ride!”
Weatherly had previously signed a two year deal which takes him until the end of the current run and also included a production deal with CBS for his own production company Solar Drive Productions which continues.
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