NCIS creator Don Bellisario flew to Australia to convince Michael Weatherly to join the show despite him being busy with another project at the time. Weatherly was playing Robert Wagner in the ABC series The Mystery of Natalie Wood. Weatherly eventually took on the role of Tony DiNozzo and became a fan-favorite character on the show. Ironically, Wagner ended up joining the cast of NCIS as Anthony DiNozzo Snr., Tony's father.