Wilmer Valderrama on ‘NCIS’: Nick Torres ‘Will Never Be The Same!

Wilmer Valderrama has appeared in over 120 episodes of “NCIS” on CBS, but on Monday night, fans will see his character, Nick Torres, in an unprecedented predicament. In the episode titled “Last Dance,” an infamous arms dealer is released from prison, forcing Torres to confront the repercussions of an undercover operation he worked on over a year ago.

Valderrama spoke with CBS News’ DJ Sixsmith to discuss this compelling episode, his feelings about “NCIS” being renewed for Season 20, and the impact of his daughter on his career. “NCIS” airs Monday nights at 9 PM EST/PST on CBS and is available on Paramount+.

“Season 20 just got picked up, so we have a runway and a canvas to do some things,” Valderrama said. “With this character, we’ve done the crossover episodes and we put him through a lot of trauma. There has been a lot of fracturing that has happened to him the last couple of years. Tonight, we uncover a lot of what he’s been and what he used to be. He is going through a tough transition as he decides what he wants to be. We have a case from the past, and there is a love story intertwined in there that he was a part of, and that comes full circle. It gives him something to really fight for or something to perhaps feel really guilty about. I think there is something about that which will be transformative for the character, and he will never be the same after tonight.”

Valderrama says tonight’s episode will be emotional, dramatic, and very telling in defining Torres’ future. In addition to his time on “NCIS,” the actor has appeared in movies such as “Encanto” and TV shows such as “That ’70s Show.” Valderrama also recently became a father, and he says he now views his career through the lens of how his work will impact his daughter.

“I had a moment of reflection during Easter because I was looking at my daughter, and she is 14 months old, walking around for the first time,” Valderrama shared. “I looked back at all the roles I’ve played and all the roles I want to play tomorrow. They are directly attached to what reality I want her to grow up into. I want to be responsible for those characters that contribute to where we have to go next with content. I think a lot of 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.”