He's a familiar face to fans of NCIS and yet… Present in all seasons of the series (except one), this actor explained why he does not appear more in the series. Spoiler: this is actually his decision.
Absolute fans of NCIS will immediately know who we are talking about. A character from the cult American detective series has appeared in almost all seasons except one. In total, he appeared in 58 episodes and was sometimes deeply important to the plot. However, he was never given a starring role. This is Tobias Fornell, FBI agent (and now private detective) and great friend of Gibbs. Played by actor Joe Spano, he is quite essential since he intervenes every time NCIS needs to team up with the FBI on an investigation. But while he never had a bigger place in the franchise – even though he also appeared in an episode of NCIS: New Orleans – this is to respect the wishes of Joe Spano. The actor explained it in Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatchthe podcast from Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo, who played DiNozzo and Ziva in the series and are set to reprise their roles in a spin-off coming next year.
Joe Spano explains why he prefers to be a guest on NCIS
“I didn’t want to have to do what you were doing,” explained Joe Spano to his former partners. “Not really in terms of filming time, but in terms of what it means to your life. I could see it clearly. You were transforming and you had to stay like that to promote the show, to react to people seeing you that way. It's not really you, but you have to accept it for your work and for the public. But by doing that all the time, I think we forget a little who we are.” he adds.
Joe Spano was one of the main characters in a 1980s detective series
Joe Spano speaks with knowledge. Before playing the role of Tobias Fornell in NCISthe 78-year-old actor was the star of another series. He played Lieutenant Henry Goldblume in the 1980s detective series, Captain Furillo. When this program ended in 1987, Joe Spano stopped playing main characters. He made several appearances in series and films but he apparently preferred to keep his personality intact and not completely blend into the skin of someone else, adored by the public. A wish that NCIS has allowed him to achieve continuously for over 20 years.
Article written in collaboration with 6Médias
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