Wilmer Valderrama joined the cast of NCIS back in Season 14 as a series regular, and it appears CBS has liked what the actor's done on the criminal procedural enough to give him a new deal that may extend his presence beyond the boundaries of the show. Of course, the new agreement also ensures Valderrama will be playing special agent Nick Torres for the foreseeable future, which some NCIS fans are likely happy to know. Really, the sky is the limit for Valderrama on CBS as the actor's production company WV Entertainment is part of a 2-year first-look deal that covers both unscripted and scripted projects.
The contract, which is said to feature a strong emphasis on diversity, will grant the American actor of Venezuelan and Colombian descent the chance to further diversify CBS programming with the help of his production company, WV Entertainment, which has made various programming for television, such as Handy Manny, Douglas Family Gold, and The Hollywood Puppet Show. Wilmer Valderrama stated he was eager to work alongside CBS Television Studios and create culturally relevant and engaging dramas on the network.
As mentioned, the deal also included an extension of Wilmer Valderrama's NCIS contract, which Deadline reported came to an end in at the end of Season 15. The two-year extension will guarantee Valderrama is back for the show's upcoming Season 16, and will also ensure he will return for Season 17, should CBS renew the show after Season 16. The series has had consistently strong ratings in its long run, so there's no reason to believe the show won't be around then, although the series has seen a decline in its viewership in its past couple seasons.
Regardless of NCIS' future, it appears as though Wilmer Valderrama will have CBS to call home for at least the next couple years. Of course, it's not the only place the actor has had a gig in the past few years, as Valderrama has had brief stints on other programs including Netflix's The Ranch, El Rey's From Dusk Til Dawn, and ABC's Grey's Anatomy. This new deal with CBS and his contract extension with NCIS shouldn't affect his ability to continue appearing on other shows in the future, so those who are fans but not avid watchers of CBS needn't worry.
NCIS returns to CBS with Wilmer Valderrama in tow this fall on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET. To see the full lineup of what the network has in store for its upcoming fall season, click here. Those wondering what television shows there are to watch in the meantime will find just what they're looking for by heading over to our summer premiere guide. For more on Valderrama, check out what the actor had to say when he took over for Michael Weatherly on NCIS.
