‘NCIS’ Star Wilmer Valderrama Confirms He Is in ‘Conversations’ About Returning For Season 20
NCIS will be back for season 20 this fall. But the future of Wilmer Valderrama’s Agent Nick Torres remains in doubt. After it was announced that Valderrama had been cast in the upcoming live-action reboot of Zorro for Disney Branded Television, many assumed that he would exit NCIS. But that’s not necessarily the case. According to Valderrama, he is in “conversations” about returning to the military drama for another season.
‘NCIS’ star Wilmer Valderrama has wanted to be Zorro since he was a kid
When the announcement was made that Valderrama had signed on to Disney’s Zorro project, the actor said it was one of the greatest and most exciting moments of his career.
“Since I was a child, I wanted to be Zorro, so to partner up with Walt Disney and help bring him to life and to develop a Zorro that is one I can take and ground into our history, but at the same time be adventurous and romantic and everything that we hope that he is, it’s going to be a ride of a lifetime,” Valderrama said, per Parade.
But accepting the role of Zorro wasn’t just about his own childhood dreams. Valderrama noted that he was “very, very proud” to bring the character to a new generation. And give his 14-month-old daughter, Nakano Oceana, “another example of a man that’s a man of his word.”
Wilmer Valderrama is in ‘conversations’ about season 20
The Zorro project is currently in development, but the production schedule is still unknown. According to Valderrama, though, it appears that he might be able to star in the new Disney series and still appear on NCIS as Agent Torres for another season, at least.
During a recent event at PaleyFest titled “A Salute to the NCIS Universe,” Valderrama confirmed he was in talks with the network to return for NCIS season 20.
“As of now, we are in conversations, and I hope to definitely not only come back but to be there for my co-stars. I love NCIS and I love what they’ve given me as a home, and I feel like my time at NCIS is not over yet,” Valderrama said.
The ‘NCIS’ star says he looks at his career differently after becoming a father
The That 70’s Show alum also revealed that he is making different career choices now that he’s a father. After watching his daughter walk for the first time, he says he looked back at the roles he’s played. As well as the roles he wants to play in the future. And he thought about what kind of reality he wants his daughter growing up in.
“I want to be responsible for those characters that are contributing to where we have to go next with content. I think a lot my next chapter will be creating characters that she will see herself in and feel connected to. I hope other audiences and young people can see that,” Valderrama told CBS News.
New episodes of NCIS air Monday nights on CBS.
