'NCIS' actor Sean Murray says playing 'Tim' McGee for 17 seasons 'is like hitting the lotto twice'
Right from the start, the character of Timothy "Tim" McGee played by Sean Murray, has been part of the NCIS' DNA. From being one of the "Three Stooges" in the earlier seasons with Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) and Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) to becoming one of the "Core Four" in later seasons, McGee has been through it all.
So much so, that earlier this year, when one of the show's storylines had McGee consider taking a well-paying tech job in Silicon Valley and leaving NCIS, Murray had to speak to the press to allay fans' fears that he was about to quit.
Taking a short break from filming, Murray spoke to MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) about being part of NCIS from season 1 to season 17. "It is pretty unreal. We often have guests stars asking us how it is to be part of something that has gone on for 17 years that is so popular with such a loyal fan base. It is like hitting the lotto twice, so it's pretty amazing."
Murray is very conscious that he's part of a phenomenon that is increasingly rare in today's TV landscape. "Being part of something like this and the legacy NCIS will have... that it does have, [is something] I'll be proud of being a part of for the rest of my life."
The show will celebrate it's 400th episode when it airs episode 22 later this season. Asked about how he planned to celebrate with NCIS's cast and crew, he joked they would probably print a few T-shirts and be done with it. But he finally divulged that the cast and crew are planning to get together for a big screening, "so that everyone can see it". The episode will air close to the finale and begin shooting sometime in April.
'NCIS' airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on CBS.