Brian Dietzen Of Ncis Recalls A Scary Incident In His Personal Life In A Deeply Emotional Message.
In the long-running police drama, the actor plays Dr. Jimmy Palmer.
Brian Dietzen was among the numerous celebrities who paid their condolences on Monday to remember all those who died in the September 11, 2011 terrorist attacks. The NCIS star revealed a personal experience from the day, recalling the dreadful scare he encountered with two close friends who were scheduled to fly to New York City the night before and stay at a hotel next to one of the World Trade Center buildings. Brian commented, “If you’re old enough, you remember where you were 22 years ago.” He revealed the tense minutes trying to contact them as the terror unfolded on the day.
“My wife and I had just woken up in our Los Feliz apartment to see the news on the television. It was terrifying, disorienting and made our hearts ache and scream.
“My mind immediately went to my two dear friends Mike and Patty who were supposed to be flying out to NY the night before, and were booked to stay at the hotel in one of the World Trade Center buildings.”
Brian continued: “I left frantic voicemails and thankfully heard back a few hours later. They were safe. They’d decided to take the morning flight and were grounded in Las Vegas.
“As all air travel was halted and all cars were rented, they needed a ride back to LA. That’s how Kel and I found ourselves in a casino hotel room on the night of 9/11. I was so thankful our friends were alive.”
The Dr. Jimmy Palmer actor added: “Every year I get a text from Patty and I think about all the families and friends who never returned frantic voicemails. Those who never came home.
“My heart breaks for those who lost so much this day 22 years ago. Sending love and hope to all who hurt today.” Brian’s followers went on to recall their own memories of September 11, while others paid tribute to all those who lost their lives and loved ones.
Brian is married to Kelly Dietzen, and the couple has two children, who are never shown on their father’s Instagram to protect their privacy. In fact, Brian and Kelly are so private about their children that they have never revealed their names or any information about them to the public. The actor has been playing Jimmy Palmer on NCIS since 2004, beginning as a guest appearance and working his way up the ranks.
“One of the big, memorable days is my first scene here [on NCIS]. And I was hired to do one scene with David McCallum, one day,” he told CBS.
“And I went in there, we had a nice juicy scene with David, where I was nervous, and I was working on a tape recorder.
He and I played really, really well together.” Brian was promoted to a series regular on NCIS in 2012, eight years after appearing in his first episode.
