Celebrity / TV

‘NCIS’: The Mistake Michael Weatherly Made on Screen That Still Has Him Laughing

Former “NCIS” star Michael Weatherly always made a big impression during his time on the show. The delivery of his jokes and his entertaining facial expressions were sure to get a laugh from viewers. However, there was one mistake Weatherly says he made that wasn’t supposed to be caught on camera. Here’s the error Weatherly …

by Sheiresa Ngo

Published on November 24, 2019

2 min read

How Michael Weatherly got the role of Tony DiNozzo on ‘NCIS’

Michael Weatherly and Sean Murray on NCIS | Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images

During an interview with CBS, “NCIS” creator Don Bellisario spoke about how Weatherly snagged the role of Tony DiNozzo. Bellisario said Weatherly was very persistent about tracking him down so he could talk to him about the role. Weatherly managed to get an invite to have dinner with Bellisario and his family. As you probably guessed, the “NCIS” creator was impressed right away.

Weatherly said things went so well that he didn’t have to go through the typical steps to get the role of Tony. “I never had to really audition for Tony DiNozzo,” said Weatherly. “It was more like sit down with Don, tell stories and listen to stories, and laugh a lot. And here we are.”

The mistake Michael Weatherly made during a somber scene

Michael Weatherly on the set of NCIS | Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images

Weatherly made a hilarious mistake during what was one of the saddest scenes in NCIS history. Fans were surprised when NCIS agent Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander) was killed off. During the final scene of season two, episode 23, titled “Twilight,” Todd is shot in the head. However, right before she is shot, you can see Weatherly flinch.

Weatherly told CBS he was standing behind Alexander, and he saw the makeup department put a fake blood pack on the back of her head. Since he was behind her, he knew he would be hit with blood splatter. When it was time for Alexander’s character to be shot, Weatherly instinctively flinched to prepare himself for being hit in the face with fake blood. Here’s what Weatherly said about that scene:

The second episode from season two that’s in my greatest hits list is the finale, when Sasha Alexander got popped in the head. So, you can see me flinch right before that bullet makes contact. I watched them put the blood bag on, and I noticed I was standing behind her, which meant the blood bag would be exploding all over me.

You can see the video here. Just be warned that it’s quite graphic. If you’re sensitive to violence and blood, you might not want to watch this.

This isn’t the first mistake on ‘NCIS’

This isn’t the first time a mistake has been made on “NCIS.” During season 17, episode six, titled “Institutionalized,” a fan caught a funny mistake during a serious scene. He took to Reddit to share that the car window was down, and then up, and then down again in a scene where Kasie’s friend is being taken in for questioning regarding a murder. “The editors and continuity people missed it,” said the Redditor.