Wilmer Valderrama on ‘NCIS’: Nick Torres ‘will never be the same’

(CBS News) – Wilmer Valderrama has starred in more than 120 episodes of CBS’ “NCIS,” but on Monday night, fans will see his character Nick Torres in a difficult position he’s never faced before. In the episode titled “The Last Dance,” a notorious arms dealer is released from prison and Torres is forced to face the consequences of his actions in an undercover operation he conducted over a year ago.

Valderrama sat down with CBS News’ DJ Sixsmith to discuss the exciting episode, how he feels about “NCIS” being renewed for a 20th season and his daughter’s influence on his career. “NCIS” airs Monday nights at 9:00 PM EST/PST on CBS and is available on Paramount+.

“Season 20 just opened, so we have a runway and a canvas to do some things,” Valderrama said. “We’ve done crossover episodes with this character, and we’ve seen him through a lot of trauma. Over the past couple of years, many fractures have happened to him. Tonight we will reveal much of what he is and what he used to be. He will have to go through a difficult transition while he decides who he wants to be. We have a case from the past, and it intertwines a love story of which he was a part and which comes full circle. It gives him something to really fight for or maybe feel guilty about. I think there’s something about that that’s going to change the character, and after tonight, he’s never going to be the same.”

Valderrama says tonight’s episode will be emotional, dramatic and very revealing in determining Torres’ future. In addition to his time on “NCIS,” the actor has appeared in movies like “Encanto” and TV shows like “That 70’s Show.” Valderrama also recently became a father, and he says he looks at his career in terms of how the content he works on will affect his daughter.

“I had a moment of reflection over Easter because I was looking at my daughter, she’s 14 months old, and she’s walking for the first time, and I looked back at all the roles I’ve played and all the roles I want to play tomorrow. They are directly related and what reality I want her to grow into. I want to be responsible for those characters that contribute to where we should go next with the content. I think my next chapter will be creating a lot of characters that she can see herself in and feel connected to. I hope other viewers and young people can see it.”