The actor is recognized for portraying Tony DiNozzo in the CBS drama. Michael Weatherly is heading home after a whirlwind trip to Turkey. Giving fans a rare life update on Sunday, the actor revealed that his adventures in Gobekli Tepe and Cappadocia had officially come to an end, as he boarded a plane home.
Sharing a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, Michael wrote: “Having witnessed ancient temples and mysteries from history I am reminded by the Whirling Dervishes of Konya, Turkey that the heart speaks the truth. But…True Love Travels on A Gravel Road ”
Sparking a reaction from fans, many were quick to wish the NCIS alum a safe journey home.
“At the end of the day, unconditional love is what we all need MW. Thank you so much for sharing your adventure with us! I wish I could see more and hear your thoughts and stories about Turkey. Safe trip home, I bet you can’t wait to see your family,” replied one.
“Safe travel home, hope to see more pictures of your adventures,” added a second.
Among the comments, many also acknowledged the rumours of Michael’s possible return to NCIS. “Enjoy your vacation, hopefully you’re planning on getting back to work, you know the team needs you,” penned a fan. “Are you coming back to NCIS or not?” asked another.
Michael – who played Tony DiNozzo in the long-running CBS drama for 13 years – has remained tight-lipped about whether or not he’d return to NCIS.
More recently, however, fans have been hoping for cast members, including Michael Weatherly, and Pauley Perrette, to return, as a means of honoring the late David McCallum – aka Ducky Mallard – who passed away in September.
It was back in 2016 that Michael stepped down from his role as Tony DiNozzo. Speaking about his exit at the time, he said: “It came about at the right time. I was burnt out by NCIS and I was ready for a new challenge. Sometimes change is as good as a rest.” In an interview with TV Line, he revealed that he’d actually begun thinking about his exit after his on-screen love interest, Cote de Pablo, left the show.
“Their great dynamic, the badinage and sparring and flirting between those two characters and how they would swing from siblings to near lovers and back to buddies, that was gone,” he explained. “Then I got to the point where I felt I’d stayed at the party for too long.”
Back in May, RadarOnline reported that Michael had been in talks about a potential comeback, however this is yet to be confirmed or denied. The publication stated that while the show’s bosses are keen for Michael to return, they are “balking” over his insistence that they also bring back his co-star Cote de Pablo, who played his TV love interest Ziva David, as well as his on-screen dad, Robert Wagner. Looks we’ll have to wait and see!