Michael Weatherly Shocked: LL Cool J’s ‘NCIS’ Spin-Off Was a Hit – You Won’t Believe His Reaction!
Michael Weatherly’s television history didn’t exactly set the stage for him to anticipate the success of ‘NCIS’ and its spin-off series, especially considering his past experiences with TV shows.
Weatherly, who joined ‘NCIS’ in 2003 and stayed for 13 seasons before leading the show ‘Bull,’ was pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming success of ‘NCIS’ and its global fanbase. The show’s popularity led to the creation of a spin-off, ‘NCIS: Los Angeles,’ starring LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell, which also achieved remarkable success. Reflecting on the unexpected achievements of the shows, Weatherly admitted that, had someone predicted their success seven years earlier, he would have been skeptical and likely bet against it.
“It’s been the kind of year,” Weatherly once shared. “That, if seven years ago, you had come up to me and said, ‘Michael, I just went with the Ghost of Christmas Future, and I was mostly paying attention to my own stuff, but I happened to notice that there’s an NCIS: LA with LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell, which is a spin-off of your show, and it’s the No. 1 new show on television, and your show is the No. 1 show on television,’ I think I would have bet you maybe $40,000 that you were lying. Not a million dollars, but I would have bet you something big — like a car.”
Before finding success with ‘NCIS,’ Weatherly faced challenges with TV shows, experiencing cancellations or short-lived roles in projects like the Aaron Spelling pilot ‘Pier 66’ and a Chris Columbus pilot. His stint on the show ‘Dark Angel,’ despite James Cameron’s involvement, only lasted two seasons. Despite these setbacks, Weatherly acknowledged the fleeting nature of acting opportunities, comparing it to short-term relationships, until he found stability with ‘NCIS.’
“You just have to say, ‘Okay. I’m a guy who has relationships that’s three weeks to two years. And then they go away.’ And that was sort of like the acting job, was like short-term. And now I feel like I’m in a marriage,” he said.
