The original NCIS is one of the longest-running shows in television history, and for good reason: audiences love to see wild crimes solved by a cast of impossibly charming characters. Most of these characters stick around for many years, which gives the show a kind of found family vibe that you just can’t find anywhere else on television. Some characters, though, disappear suddenly and without any real warning!
NCIS has lost so many of its original cast that the modern show looks almost nothing like its earliest seasons. Did you ever wonder what happened with some of those early characters? Why did your favorite actors leave the series, and what tea did they spill after the fact? Don’t worry: we’ve got all the details you’ve been dying to know. Keep reading to discover why your favorite stars left the original NCIS!
The grass was greener on the other side for Michael Weatherly
Michael Weatherly was one of the early breakout stars of NCIS. It’s not hard to see why: his Tony DiNozzo character was a charming smart aleck who always got the best lines. Between that and the actor’s natural charisma, he managed to steal almost every scene that he appeared in. The actor’s many fans were understandably disappointed when Weatherly announced in early 2016 that he would be retiring from the show. Why, everyone wondered, would the actor leave the show that made him into a household name?
The short answer is that he wanted to try something new. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he told the Television Critics Association that he was both “burnt out” and “ready for a new challenge.” Sadly, this didn’t work out the way he had hoped: Michael Weatherly got his wish and played the title character in the CBS drama Bull, which lasted an admirable six seasons. But both the show and the actor were bogged down by an accusation of sexual harassment from co-star Eliza Dushku. The network settled with her, paying a cool $9.5 million; as for Weatherly, he apologized to her and returned to NCIS earlier this year with the spinoff Tony & Ziva.
The Shocking Reason Your Favorite Stars Left NCIS
