If you’re a fan of “NCIS,” then you surely know all about Wilmer Valderrama and Emily Wickersham’s delightful dynamic. Wickersham joined the show back in 2013 as Agent Eleanor Bishop, per IMDb, while Valderrama was brought on board as Agent Nick Torres in 2016. The two played characters who had such an engaging spark that fans had been eager to see a possible romantic relationship between the two for years.
“They’ve become very close and very dependent upon each other, and our show has a history of playing with relationships like that,” executive producer Frank Cardea explained back in June 2020, according to TV Insider. Adding that the show’s viewers “seem to enjoy this relationship now,” Cardea noted that was why they intended to “pursue” the potential situation and “keep looking at that.”
Of course, in May 2021, Wickersham announced that she was leaving “NCIS” behind. That was followed by Valderrama revealing that big changes had been planned for “NCIS” and the news that he would be starring in a new show from The CW, “Hipster Death Rattle,” per Deadline. For obvious reasons, this left some fans worried that he also intended to say goodbye to “NCIS.” Whatever Valderrama and Wickersham’s future intentions may be, they can at least look back fondly at their time working together as well as the intriguing — and sometimes hilariously awkward — relationship that they now have.
Wilmer Valderrama admitted something about meeting Emily Wickersham
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“So four and a half years ago I stepped on set, did my first table read with you guys,” Wilmer Valderrama said during an Instagram Live conversation he had in March 2021 with his now-former “NCIS” co-star Emily Wickersham (via Express). While Valderrama was attempting to share a sweet memory of that moment, Wickersham wanted to know something specific: “I remember when we first met. Do you remember?” Spoiler: He did not.
While Valderrama was under the impression that they likely met at that initial table read, Wickersham reminded him that they had actually met earlier. “No, we met before the table read on your way to ADR, where we do things like looping and stuff,” she recalled. She then asked again quite pointedly, “Do you remember or do you not?”
When Valderrama admitted that he didn’t “remember exactly,” Wickersham played up the potentially awkward moment by feigning offense, adding, “Great, wonderful. Cool, cool, cool.” Of course, that sparked laughter from both stars. Granted, while they seemed to have a great time, some fans were slightly saddened by the conversation for a very good reason. As one person wrote, “This hits so different knowing Emily left [‘NCIS’].” Oof! Thankfully, those who miss the dynamic duo can always look back at their many other memorable moments and appreciate the true feelings between them.
Wilmer Valderrama revealed how he feels about Emily Wickersham
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If you had to choose the best of the best “NCIS” episodes when it comes to showing how amazing Wilmer Valderrama and Emily Wickersham could be together, what would they be? When TV Insider pulled together just such a list, they included examples like “High Tide” (Season 15, Episode 11), which saw them go undercover as a pair in a relationship; “Sight Unseen” (Season 15, Episode 20), which brought on a touch of jealousy; and “Mona Lisa” (Season 16, Episode 18), which involved a less-than-straightforward conversation between the two that left many viewers experiencing a lot of feelings.
Obviously, that’s how things played out between the two stars when the cameras were rolling. But how does Valderrama really feel about Wickersham off-screen? Well, he opened up during another Instagram Live in 2020 (via Outsider) and talked about the people he was working with at the time, which included Wickersham.
Noting that it may be “such a cliché thing that everybody says when they talk about their cast members,” he revealed how much he liked working with them, saying that there were “no fire drills on this show,” meaning no drama outside of the scripts. “I get on with everyone super well. From Emily [Wickersham] to Sean [Murray] to Brian [Dietzen] and Mark [Harmon],” Valderrama said. He added, “When you show up to work together it’s just a joy.” That can certainly be seen when he and Wickersham are together both on and off the screen.
