Of anybody on TV right now, Michael Weatherly has it as comfortable as it gets. He ventured out into new waters upon exiting the hit CBS drama NCIS for the freshman series Bull, and while the show hasn't been a runaway success in all aspects, Weatherly will likely be safe for another season. And now that he's had a bit of time away from the NCIS team to reflect on the big career choice, he's opened up about what he now misses the most, and it's likely exactly what you'd expect.
You know, I miss that specific camaraderie. I miss the people and smiles, the laughter. But I have had some good laughs on Bull! I felt very satiated by my experience at NCIS. As I said to you last time, it was a full circle and I felt ready to move on, and that has definitely been the case. I have no remorse or misgivings about what went down.
Some people, after they've left a gig where their lives were put on the line such as law enforcement, they can look back on the danger more fondly than most might predict, and the urgency is something that's truly missed. But since Michael Weatherly was only portraying a fictionalized someone of that variety, he doesn't have quiet as much tied into the "success" of what his character Tony DiNozzo did. As such, he misses goofing around and yukking it up with his former co-stars, because of course he does. (He's probably still not missing the gun, either.)
For 13 years, Michael Weatherly's Tony DiNozzo was a source of laughter on NCIS, when he wasn't busy saving people, and it's never easy for someone to get used to a life where all that has completely changed. As the actor said in his interview with TVLine, Bull keeps him mirthful as well, and that's understandable on a show where Freddy Rodriguez is involved, but I'm sure Weatherly and co-star Jamie Lee Kirchner aren't already sharing the kind of inside jokes that he'll always cherish. You have to build up to that kind of thing. I mean, unless some mega-fan has a voodoo doll of Weatherly out there that he or she tickles to make him spontaneously laugh throughout the days.
Though the big galoot is all big and proud and says he doesn't regret making that decision, I'm sure Weatherly misses the fans, too, guys. We're all still in his big affable heart, aren't we? Maybe one day we can get some kind of a crossover to bring Michael Weatherly back to his former digs for some potentially hilarious Bull/NCIS crossover action to prove that.
Bull will return to CBS fresh from its winter hiatus on Tuesday, January 3, in its usual time-slot following Weatherly's previous gig, NCIS, which is also picking back up that night. To see everything else that'll be popping back up or making a big debut, head to our midseason premiere schedule.
