It turns out that reports of Wilmer Valderrama’s departure from his role as Special Agent Nick Torres on NCIS, including ours, were greatly exaggerated.
Valderrama told Parade.com exclusively at PaleyFest—A Salute to the NCIS Universe, “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 what they’ve given me as a home, and I feel like my time on the show isn’t over yet.”
The rumors started, of course, when Valderrama announced a new opportunity to play Zorro in a live-action version of the series for Disney Branded Television, which is currently in development.
“What I will tell you is that it is one of the greatest and most exciting moments in my life,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to be Zorro, so to work with Walt Disney and help bring him to life, and to create a Zorro that I can take and ground into our history, while also being adventurous, romantic, and everything that we hope he is, it’s going to be a ride of a lifetime.” I am very proud to be able to introduce Zorro to a new generation and to provide another example of a man who keeps his word to my daughter [Nakano Oceana Valderrama, 14 months].”
Another reason Torres appeared to be leaving NCIS was that there was that episode where he went to a very dark place and nothing could pull him out of it. Torres was a lone wolf when he first appeared in the NCIS offices in Washington, D.C. But the team eventually won him over and he became a member of the family, but then his family began to abandon him, beginning with Bishop’s (Emily Wickersham) departure and then Gibbs’ departure. (Mark Harmon).
“When you think about abandonment and someone who has had those issues, I think the easiest thing for them to do is to go back to what they know, which is to be the lone wolf again,” Valderrama said of Torres’ behavior since Gibbs’ departure.
“That has gotten him into a little trouble. He’s been struggling with binge drinking and trying to get a handle on it. I believe that if everything goes well, he will be able to find some peace. He’s a tormented soul, and I believe you’ll see him break a lot more frequently than in the past. All in the hopes of getting him back on track and making him happy again.”
Torres’ backstory includes his father abandoning him at a young age, and more recently, when his father appeared and it appeared as if they would reconcile. But when his father abandoned him for the second time, Torres turned to Gibbs, who had become a father figure to him.
“Gibbs was there for him when his father abandoned him,” says Valderrama. “To come full circle, he saw himself looking up to this man who was just as broken as he was. When we look at our character’s future, I want that to be a closed chapter for him because it’s important to create examples on television of people who can overcome their obstacles. We have a tendency in television to break our characters and have tragic endings. I’d love to have a run of something where a character can serve as an example to others.”
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