‘NCIS’: Why the Swiss Army Knife Holds Special Meaning for Michael Weatherly

Former NCIS star Michael Weatherly has a connection to the Swiss Army knife that goes back many years. He has spoken about his interesting link to the knives in a few interviews. Here’s why the Swiss army knife is so important to Michael Weatherly.

Michael Weatherly gives Swiss Army knives as gifts

Michael Weatherly loves Swiss Army knives so much that he sometimes gives them away as gifts. During his last days playing Tony DiNozzo on NCIS, Weatherly gave away Swiss Army knives engraved with the words “Big Kiss,” according to TV Insider. The actor also gave a Swiss Army knife to one of the Entertainment Tonight hosts. He explained to the host that he used to refer to NCIS as “N Kiss.”

Why the Swiss Army knife means so much to Michael Weatherly

The Swiss Army knife has special meaning for Weatherly because it links back to his childhood. The actor told Stephen Colbert that his father imported Swiss Army knives when he was a child. At the time, Weatherly’s father was the only U.S. importer:

My father was the U.S. importer of the Swiss Army knife from 1973 about to the late 80s. It was the original Swiss Army knife. In the fifth grade, my father was explaining to me the difference between paying cost for something and then wholesale and then retail. And then I caught on to this idea that I could actually get that knife, which was retailing for $50, for $7. So, I asked Dad if I could get a few. And then what I did was I brought them to school, and I started selling them, and they were moving like hot cakes. I was adding 10% just to take care of myself.

Weatherly told Colbert that he eventually got caught by the headmaster at his school. However, the headmaster overlooked young Weatherly’s transgression in exchange for a few Swiss Army knives.

Family is important to Michael Weatherly

Before his current marriage to Bojana Janković, Weatherly was married to actress Amelia Heinle from 1995 to 1997. The actor told People magazine the divorce had a major impact on him, but he learned from that experience and he now tries his best to make sure he doesn’t have another relationship breakdown. “That was a very difficult time. When I got remarried, I wanted to do my very best to ensure that rupture wouldn’t happen again. My kids and my marriage are the things I’m proudest of,” said Weatherly.

Read more: ‘NCIS’: Michael Weatherly Reveals Where Mark Harmon’s ‘Gibbs Head Slap’ Came From

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