Wilmer Valderrama joined the NCIS family in 2016. Walking onto the show as the combat-ready Agent Torres, he had some mighty big shoes to fill. With Michael Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo no longer in the picture, Valderrama stepped in as the new suave and handsome mainstay.
NCIS has been around for ages, and the show continues to see record-breaking numbers season after season. The cast, though many come and go, remains a close-knit family. Thus, getting onto the show is not easy, as it opens doors for newbie actors and places familiar faces back in the spotlight. Valderrama was quite humbled when he found out he was chosen for NCIS.
Wilmer Valderrama on finding out that he landed the role in ‘NCIS’
During an interview with DailyActor, Valderrama revealed how he felt when he discovered he got the role. He was honored and excited. He stated:
I was really humbled, you know? I was really humbled and really flattered that they had given me a call to join the cast. I just finished Minority Report and literally in the middle of wrapping From Dusk Till Dawn in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I landed in Los Angeles and I finished this pilot called Four Stars for CBS Studios, the pilot didn’t move forward, but I was really flattered and really honored that they saw my performance on the pilot and they invited me to join the cast of the show to kind of maybe take an NCIS to a whole different dimension.
Though Valderrama had hoped to be kicking off a different CBS show — Four Stars — that dream didn’t come to fruition. But, luckily for the former That ‘70s Show star, the network saw potential in him, and his performance on the ultra-short-lived CBS original snagged him a leading role in NCIS.
Wilmer Valderrama on ‘NCIS’ success and Mark Harmon
Valderrama also explained that he was excited to work with Mark Harmon — a living TV legend at this point. Valderrama respects Harmon and was not only excited to work with the actor, but also excited to join a show that knows what it takes to stay on the air — to keep fans pleased for seasons on end. He said:
So, I was excited by the opportunity. I was humbled that I could work with Mark Harmon because I just respect that guy so much. What that show has done for television has been really, really groundbreaking and it’s not slowing down, which to me is it was super exciting.
Valderrama is now one of the ingredients that makes the NCIS mix work. His relationship with Bishop and his dynamic with Gibbs adds new layers to the show.
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