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Naval blazing

Michael EARLY in his NCIS career, Michael Weatherly detoured from his script but neglected to tell the writers, cast or crew of his plan.He put his own words into the mouth of NCIS special agent Tony DiNozzo and startled cast members sharing his scene.

“Normally when you want to change a line or use a new prop or even pick up a pen, you have to talk to a lot of people about it,” Weatherly says.

“I just started doing it. I wanted to break out of this rut I found myself in by trying to be a little less stiff.
“I gave myself permission to not ask permission of the people around me.”

Five minutes with… Michael Weatherly, star of NCIS

You’re in Sydney for the TV Week Logie Awards and a slew of press commitments for NCIS. How’s it going?
I’m having an amazing time. The flight alone [from LA] is so much fun. I’m a fan of the plane wine. [Laughs.] So it’s been an absolutely wonderful time. Hamish and Andy — I love them. I had so much fun meeting them backstage [at the Logies] and then doing their radio show the next morning. I was exhausted, but they carried me through. And I have to say a slew of other people that night were so much fun. Fifi Box has more energy than a hurricane. It’s been extraordinary. And yesterday I had a great big walk through Sydney with my niece [Alexandra Breckenridge].

Special agent for NCIS

MICHAEL Weatherly has no doubt who to credit for the continuing success of NCIS.

“There’s a lot of television that comes and goes fast, but ultimately we have succeeded because of Don Bellisario; he knows how to tell a good yarn,” Weatherly says of the NCIS writer, producer and director.

“This is the man who created Magnum PI, Quantum Leap and JAG, and he understands that the audience is looking for familiar characters that resonate.

“With NCIS it’s like the characters are family members. We have those family members in a workplace scenario.

Agent with attitude

In a television landscape awash with carbon copy cop shows and detectives, NCIS special agent Tony DiNozzo is a breath of fresh air. Although you might not want to breathe when he’s around.

DiNozzo is childish, prone to spouting quotes from movies and has been known to break wind in company, much to the disgust of his colleague, Ziva David.