TVLINE | My condolences on the passing of Leon Vance. How did this storyline come about? Did you ask to depart the present? Or did the writers method you with this concept?
I used to be not the catalyst for this taking place. I additionally do not suppose originally of the season that it was deliberate. Because we shot this episode on the finish of November, the start of December, and I feel I discovered two episodes earlier than we shot it.
TVLINE | Wow.
Our government producer Steven D. Binder got here into my trailer and mentioned, “Hey, we’ve got an idea for the 500th episode. We want to do something that really sends shockwaves through the TV community and the fan base, and your character is central to the storyline.” I used to be like, “I’m interested.” So he proceeds to inform me the storyline that the company comes below fireplace, and it is on the verge of being dismantled and folded into one other company, and… Director Vance saves the company, and within the strategy of saving the company, he loses his life. “It’s a great story. It’s gonna be really huge.” And my first thought was, “Back up to the part again: He saves the agency and loses his life?”
So after having a little bit of an out-of-body expertise with that, the artistic facet of me, the director in me, the storyteller in me… After 23 seasons, we have instructed loads of tales, and we have instructed loads of them greater than as soon as. So, as odd as this may occasionally sound, my first thought was: “That’s a great story.” [Laughs] Nobody’s gonna see it coming. So the a part of me that is the workforce participant was immediately like, “That’s a hell of a storyline. I think that’s going to be really great.”
I say this in all sincerity: The solely factor that shocked me greater than being instructed what the story was and the way it was going to influence my character was how shortly I used to be in a position to type of come to phrases with it. Because I’ve been enjoying this character for 18 seasons. 18 seasons is rather a lot. I really feel like being a sequence common on successful present for 18 years is such an anomaly to start with. The present is on for 23 years, with a 24th season already promised. I by no means thought that I might be doing this present and enjoying this character for 18 consecutive seasons. When I began, the present was already 5 years in. It was in the direction of the tip of the fifth season when my character was launched, and I actually thought once I joined the sequence that I used to be coming in most likely on the tail finish. If it went seven or eight seasons, it will have been an incredible run. I feel ‘The Sopranos’ ran for six seasons. One of probably the most critically acclaimed exhibits in historical past was lower than 10 years. We’re now previous decade quantity two.
And sure, I might have cherished to have been one of many characters who was there for the final episode, once they board up the home windows, and once they formally do say, “All right, it’s time for everybody to turn off the lights and go home.” You’d prefer to be one of many final males standing. But after 18 seasons, I could not have requested for extra. If anyone had instructed me 18 years in the past, you are gonna do that present for almost 20 years, I might have guess the farm in opposition to that. And the extra I considered it, the extra I spotted if there’s ever a time to write down a narrative the place your character is a central determine of it, and there is closure… I do not know what the tip of “NCIS” will finally be, however not less than I really feel like my character actually type of got here full circle. With the five hundredth episode, Steve Binder mentioned his goal was, “I want this to be a tribute and a love letter to your character.” And I feel that is what we completed.
