NCIS fan-favorite Michael Weatherly recently warmed hearts by sharing a sweet social-media tribute to his on-screen father, Robert Wagner-proving that the show’s beloved bonds are still going strong.
Wagner, now 92, played Tony DiNozzo Sr. for nearly a decade, appearing in more than a dozen episodes as the charming, no-nonsense father to Weatherly’s Tony.
Even after Weatherly departed NCIS, Wagner returned for a few appearances, reuniting with Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and the rest of the team to deliver updates on Tony Jr.’s life.
Though the father-son duo hasn’t shared the screen since the 2016 (not 2018) Season 13 finale, Family First, Weatherly showed his affection remains intact.
Over the weekend, he posted a throwback photo on Twitter from a pre-NCIS project filmed in Australia, joking, “I’m having a Robert Wagner flashback… As my hair remembers what it was like to have hair.”
Fans flooded the post with love for both actors and calls for an NCIS reunion. Many praised their on-screen chemistry, saying they truly felt like father and son. Others sent warm wishes to Wagner and expressed hopes for another appearance from DiNozzo Sr.
Wagner hasn’t appeared on NCIS in three years, though showrunners have made it clear they’d gladly welcome him back. Executive producers Frank Cardea and Steven Binder explained in 2020 that C0V1D-19 complications made it difficult for Wagner-who had just turned 90 at the time-to travel for filming, but they emphasized that he’s energetic and always eager to return.
“He’s the youngest 90-year-old I’ve ever met,” they said. “He sounds like he’s in his thirties. He’s not quite ready to come back yet, but you could definitely see him in the second half of the year.”
