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‘NCIS’ News: Wilmer Valderrama Goes ‘Rogue’ And Sarah Clarke’s Character Is Out

By Nicole Giacobone
Published on: 06:53 PST, Jul 22, 2016

NCIS has already started shooting Season 14, and the new cast members are excited to be part of the network’s highest-watched drama. Wilmer Valderrama is one of the series’ newest cast members, but he wants the show’s fans to know that his character is not another version of Special Agent Tony DiNozzo, a character played by Michael Weatherly, who left the series last season.

Valderrama was hanging out at the EW lounge at the San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday night as he told Entertainment Weekly about his first days of shooting the CBS drama.

“We’re at day five of shooting on the first episode. Already there’s been a couple of explosions and I shot a guy off of a motorcycle already. I am crazy.”

While That ’70s Show alum has uploaded a few photos of filming NCIS on Twitter, he is keeping quiet about his character’s name, which has yet to be announced. Valderrama is playing a “loose cannon” field agent who was once thought to be dead while involved with a deep undercover assignment years ago.

One thing that Valderrama wants to make clear is that his character is not trying to be a replacement for DiNozzo, who was a fan favorite throughout the previous 13 seasons.

“[Weatherly] had a fantastic journey with the show. The truth is there’s no shoes to fill, I’m definitely wearing my own. I’m excited because as a new member of NCIS I get to bring a new energy to it, a different dynamic.”

Valderrama is not the only actor who’s bringing new energy to NCIS. British actor Duane Henry and former Blue Bloods star Jennifer Esposito filled out the spots for NCIS’ main cast for Season 14.

Henry guest-starred in two episodes last season as MI6 Officer Clayton Reeves, but for Season 14, he got promoted to a regular cast member. CBS announced on July 11 that Esposito signed on to be a part of the regular NCIS cast, ending lots of casting speculation during the summer.

One person who is not part of the regular cast for Season 14 of NCIS is Sarah Clarke, who played FBI Agent Tess Monroe during the last two episodes of Season 13. The 24 alum, along with Henry, had the option to be a part of the regular cast for the upcoming season, but CBS has yet to publicly announce the future of Clarke’s Monroe character and if she will return at all in the upcoming season.

Clarke had been filming an indie movie, as indicated by an Instagram photo of her in character back in May. The actress is also part of the Amazon Prime series Bosch, but Clarke has not made any statements on whether or not she will return to NCIS for future episodes.

Esposito, who starred on one season of ABC’s Mistresses, will play NCIS Special Agent Alexandra “Alex” Quinn, a former field agent-turned-law enforcement training instructor who is persuaded by Special Agent Leroy Gibbs to join his team and return to field work. Esposito will also be part of Season 14’s premiere episode.

Esposito joined the Blue Bloods cast in 2010 but had to leave in the third season after being diagnosed with celiac disease. Esposito informed CBS that she was struggling with her illness and she couldn’t handle the show’s filming schedule, which led to drama between her and the network.

Esposito opened up a gluten-free, celiac-friendly bakery named Jennifer’s Way in New York City in 2012. She wrote a book in 2014, also called Jennifer’s Way, that chronicled her struggles with celiac disease and how she learned to cope with it and lead a gluten-free lifestyle.

The first episode of NCIS’ Season 14 will premiere on CBS on Tuesday, September 20.

[Image via Wilmer Valderrama/Twitter]

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