Rocky Carroll is a critically-acclaimed actor of film, television and theatre. Currently he is playing Director Leon Vance on the number one show on television, NCIS. We spoke with the actor about recent developments in his character’s storyline.
NCIS has been on the air for ten years and Carroll only joined at the halfway mark, so we asked him what it was like coming in as the new guy on such a beloved show. “Well it was a little baptism by fire but I had worked with Mark [Harmon] before on Chicago Hope. Coming in I knew one person and he’s the top dog so that was alright.” NCIS is consistently the number one show on television averaging twenty-one million viewers a week. We wondered what kind of pressure comes with that title. “It is different for different people. I don’t really feel the pressure because I’ve been doing this for twenty years. I love the work and enjoy it every day because next year you could be doing a pilot and hoping it gets picked up. It is just the nature of the business.”
Something tells us Carroll won’t have to worry about a new pilot anytime soon, unless of course it is the new spin-off NCIS. As the director, Carroll has made several appearances on the original spin-off, NCIS Los Angeles. The new spin-off will feature a mobile unit that travels all over the U.S. solving crimes. “I haven’t been approached about it but I wouldn’t rule it out.”
Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs is often at odds with Carroll’s Director Vance, but this new story arc puts the two men in similar situations. While discussing some of his favorite story arcs for Vance, Carroll was quick to say this is his favorite arc thus far. “I’m excited about this arc, the evolution of the character and finding a different voice for him. When I was brought in I was kind of like the step dad. I was an adversary to Gibbs and people responded to that so now it’s time to bring new dimensions, to keep developing the character. It’s so liberating.”
This will definitely be a different Vance, as he was the only current member of the team that had a family – which was taken away from him in his own home. “This was something we had talked with the producers about prior to the script. I had known it was part of the season arc. It will be interesting to see how the characters rise from the ashes. I think that Jackie’s death scene was handled in a great way, it wasn’t gruesome. As an audience you don’t ever see her so it is left to your imagination.” What wasn’t left to the imagination was the look on Vance’s face when he had to tell Gibbs his wife was dead. “Gibbs and Vance are now linked in death. They have both experienced the loss of their wife and that brings them closer together.”
We did discuss fan reaction to the deaths. “People know these characters. Let’s see them go through diversity like real people. You pride yourself on being friends with someone and you don’t tell them, ‘oh you’re going through a rough time come back and talk to me when everything is better.’ We want to take the audience through that with us. I was recently at a charity event and people were coming up to me and giving me their condolences and asking how the kids were; that was so powerful.”
The last thing we talked about is always on fans’ minds. Tony and Ziva: is it ever going to happen? “No, if that happened the show would be over. Tony and Ziva are the quintessential office relationship. They have this great romantic tension. That’s what is interesting, not the follow through. There was a show in the ’80s called Moonlighting with Bruce Willis, before he did movies, and the second they followed through with the relationship the show was over.” Ah the Moonlighting effect. We all know a show that has suffered that fate and we certainly don’t want that.
Rocky Carroll makes his return as Director Vance in the episode “Hereafter” airing on February 19 at 8 p.m. EST. What do you think the future holds for Vance? Will he and Gibbs avenge their loved ones? Sound off in the comments!