As television icon Michael Weatherly relaxes during spring break at his Hollywood Hills home in Los Angeles, he reminisces about his time portraying the character of Agent Tony DiNozzo on “NCIS” for the last 13 years. While many consider him a Hollywood celebrity, Weatherly begs to differ.
“I’m just a husband, father and a human who is lucky enough to be an actor. As an actor, I have been given the opportunity to work with some amazing actors including Robert Wagner. He is a real Hollywood icon,” Weatherly said.
While many see Weatherly as a mega-star, he did not start out that way. Weatherly spent years selling shoes, delivering pizzas and even writing songs. His relationship with his father also did not add to his current status as a movie star. While Weatherly was deciding what career path to pursue, Weatherly told his father that he wanted to pursue acting.
“After I told my father what my plans were, his face changed to anger and told me with a straight face that he is taking me out of his will and will no longer call me his son.”
Weatherly’s father, Michael Weatherly Sr., was the first American importer of Swiss Army knives, which made him a very rich man. Weatherly’s mother, unlike his father, encouraged him to follow his dreams but warned him of the bumpy road ahead of him. Insecurity was Weatherly’s first bump in the road to fame.
“I was the kid in school with long hair, glasses and acne who didn’t know where he was going.
“My very first real gig was an appearance on the Cosby Show, I appeared on set and in front of me was Mr. Bill Cosby himself, I was quivering in my boots, I froze and could not say anything.”
Weatherly overcame his insecurity when he took on his most famous role of Tony DiNozzo in 2003. "He's irritating to a lot of people, but he's a lot of fun and he's very genuine, and it's a different kind of looseness you find as an actor when you get to play a part like that." When asked what his favorite moments were on the show, he could not stop highlighting all the special moments he shared with his former co-stars.”
“Our show recently reached 300 episodes, and I have had the privilege of being on every single one of them. My all-time favorite memory is actually celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas with the cast and crew. For Thanksgiving, the whole cast and crew brought in turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and all the trimmings,” Weatherly said as he watches his kids run through the living room.
During his celebration of the show’s 300 episodes, Weatherly publicly announced that he is moving on from the show and will miss the cast and crew which has become a family to him. “It’s time for me to take a break before another adventure and spend time with my kids, Olivia, 4, and Liam, 2, and I want to connect with my 20-year-old son, who I don’t see as much as I would like to. My life has changed so much in the last decade and it has become about different things, family first and then work,” Weatherly said.
Weatherly’s former co-stars are sad to see him leave but expect him to be back. Weatherly’s co-star. Mark Harmon, has to be the one who misses him the most. “Michael was a great actor to work with. He told me he was leaving several months ago, and I actually cried a little and messed up the makeup that they put on for me during the shooting. Michael was always so professional when he approached work and how he performed. I enjoyed seeing his chemistry with Robert Wagner.”
Weatherly’s former co-star, Emily Wickersham, sees him as a big brother and will always consider him family. “Michael is family to me, he has given me personal advice that very few guys would tell me. We always joked around and even though this is goodbye, I know he will be back,” Emily said as she eats the last of the celebration cake in honor of Weatherly.
During the early years of his show, Weatherly worked alongside Sean Murray who also cannot stop saying anything good about him. “Michael is a crazy man, he was a lot of fun to work with. He says he’s nervous when he films each episode, but he’s calmer than me in front of a camera. Off camera, he’s the high school jock and I’m the geek but somehow we get along.”
Despite all the fanfare and Hollywood success, Weatherly has had to fight his demons. He was recently arrested for a DUI during a night out in Hollywood Hills. “I was arrested for drinking and driving a few months ago. After digesting what had happened, I realize this could have happened when my kids where in the car and something worse might have happened. I drank a lot because it helped me calm down after a stressful day of work. However, my wife has taught me Yoga, and that is currently helping me to be calm.”
