TV GUIDE: Exclusive: NCIS Cast Gathers for Roundtable Tell-All!
Nov 6, 2012
by Chris Willman
"This is all just a setup," says Pauley Perrette, walking into the NCIS writers' room north of Los Angeles. Michael Weatherly fatalistically adds: "This is where we all..." Brian Dietzen finishes the thought: "...meet our end."
Not bloody likely. Sure, the series did off a couple major characters in the first five seasons (RIP, Lauren Holly's Jenny), and some significant recurring characters have met their makers in the five years since (Mike Franks, we hardly knew ye!). But the chances of any of these eight diehards going down anytime before the show ends its run are about the same as the odds of Gibbs cracking a sustained smile.
Speaking of which: When we gathered all eight regular cast members of TV's No. 1 drama for a historic summit, their fearless leader, Mark Harmon, was largely the quiet man out. When his colleagues finally called him on his reticence, he swore he was having too good a time listening to everyone else's banter. As you read this unprecedented full-cast gabfest, you'll know exactly what he means...
... TV Guide Magazine: I was going to ask who's least like his or her character, and it sounds like the consensus answer is Rocky.
McCallum: "And also Jimmy Palmer and Brian. Brian's not a blithering idiot."
Dietzen: "I'm not?"
Perrette: [To Weatherly] "I get asked about you all the time—"
Weatherly: "I'm much thinner in person."
Perrette: "When people early on knew we were really good friends off-set, especially women would holler at me, 'How can you be friends with him? He's such a misogynist. I don't know how you can hang out with that guy.' I'm like, 'Do you mean Michael Weatherly? Because he's actually not DiNozzo in real life.'"
Weatherly: "Although I have to say, it's kind of fun to play a total dinosaur in terms of sexual politics, somebody who doesn't give a flying f---. The shallow end of the philosophical pool is obviously where Tony paddles around."
De Pablo: "However, I have to say this, because my character has feelings for you—"
Weatherly: "I'm sorry."
De Pablo: "No, there's something deeper about that character. We always talk about the superficial element and the things that make us laugh. But he wouldn't be doing what he does if he wasn't really good at it. It's a complex character, and that's why people love it."
Weatherly: "I've been really happy about Season 10. I don't know how everyone else feels about it."
De Pablo: "Ducky's alive."
Weatherly: "That's a bonus. And I had a great time watching McGee after he got the initial gut blast with the window shard. I don't know if this is by design or something you and [executive producer Gary] Glasberg cooked up, but I'll ask anyway. It feels like there's a little bit of a new wind in the sail. Do you feel that at all?"
Murray: "Yeah, I think McGee's toughened up a little bit."
De Pablo: "Mark, do you want to say something?" [Much laughter over Harmon's silence]
Harmon: "No, I love listening to everybody! You've got all these excited people at this table. These guys have all done more than 100 shows, and they're every bit as motivated as they were in the beginning, and in some cases more so."
De Pablo: "It doesn't come without work, though."
Weatherly: "Talking?"
De Pablo: "Making it good."
Harmon: "I just think you can't forget how hard everybody worked to get here. Most of the time, shows don't work. If you don't appreciate this ride... But it wasn't always a ride. I'm so clear about how we've earned this. I'm not confused at all. And I'm not confused about what it's gonna take to stay here. I don't think anybody at this table is. I mean, shows all end at some point. But right now, there's no end in sight for this one..."
For more with the cast of NCIS, pick up this week's issue of TV Guide Magazine, on newsstands Thursday, Nov. 8!
(TV Guide's NCIS 10th Anniversary collectible covers.)
NCIS airs Tuesday at 8/7C on CBS.
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