Michael Weatherly Bio
Michael Weatherly Jr. (born July 8, 1968) is an American actor, producer, director, and musician who became a familiar face on network television through three long-running series. He is best known for playing Logan Cale in the science-fiction series Dark Angel (2000–2002), Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo on NCIS (2003–2016, 2024) and later in NCIS: Tony & Ziva (2025), and Dr. Jason Bull on the legal drama Bull (2016–2022). Across more than three decades on screen, he has also built a parallel career as a director of television episodes and short films, and he continues to work in entertainment from his home base in Connecticut.
Beyond acting, Weatherly has written songs for the NCIS soundtracks, performed music with his own band in his early years, and directed the documentary Jamaica Man, which screened at the Telluride Film Festival. He has remained a steady presence in Hollywood through talk-show appearances, presenting duties at major awards ceremonies, and recurring collaborations with CBS and Paramount.
Early Life and Background
Michael Weatherly Jr. was born on July 8, 1968, in New York City, New York, and was raised in Fairfield, Connecticut. His parents are Patricia (née Hetherington) and Michael Weatherly Sr., and he is of Irish descent. He grew up in a household that encouraged creative interests, eventually leading him to a career in the performing arts.
Weatherly attended Fairfield Country Day School and graduated from Brooks School in North Andover, Massachusetts, in 1986. He later attended Boston University, Menlo College, American University, and the American University of Paris, but he ultimately left higher education to pursue acting. As a young man, he also explored music, playing in a band and performing on his own while pursuing work in New York City.
Path to Acting
Weatherly began his professional acting career with a minor television role on The Cosby Show, appearing as a roommate of Theo Huxtable. He then took on the role of Cooper Alden on the daytime soap opera Loving, reprising the part when the show was retooled as The City from 1992 to 1996. These early television jobs gave him on-camera experience and connected him to writers and producers in New York.
After moving to Los Angeles, he landed a series-regular role on the Fox show Significant Others, which starred Jennifer Garner, and was then cast by director Whit Stillman in the 1998 film The Last Days of Disco opposite Chloë Sevigny. He also appeared in the first season of the supernatural drama Charmed in 1998. Together, these credits helped him transition from soap-opera work to prime-time television and studio films.
Michael Weatherly Career
Early Career (1990–1999)
During the 1990s, Weatherly built his résumé with steady television work and small film parts. His early film credits include Meet Wally Sparks (1997) with Rodney Dangerfield, and he continued to appear in daytime television through 1996. His turn in The Last Days of Disco marked his move into more recognizable feature film projects.
By the end of the decade, he had also begun appearing in genre television, including Charmed, and developed a reputation for a confident on-screen presence. He also recorded a karaoke-CD video performing a version of A Taste of Honey’s “Sukiyaki” during this period, an early example of his interest in music and performance beyond scripted roles.
Breakthrough (2000–2002)
Weatherly’s first major breakthrough came with the James Cameron-produced series Dark Angel, in which he played Logan Cale from 2000 to 2002. The show paired him with Jessica Alba and quickly earned a loyal audience, and his work on the series led to three award nominations: two Saturn Awards for Best Supporting Actor on Television in 2001 and 2002, and a Teen Choice Award nomination for Choice Actor in a TV Action/Adventure in 2001.
The visibility from Dark Angel opened the door to film work, including Gun Shy (2000) with Liam Neeson and Cabin by the Lake (2000) with Judd Nelson, as well as the independent film Trigger Happy opposite Rosario Dawson. The success of Dark Angel established him as a leading man in science fiction and action television.
NCIS and the DiNozzo Years (2003–2016)
In 2003, Weatherly appeared as Senior NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo in two episodes of the CBS series JAG before reprising the role on the spin-off NCIS, where he became a core cast member for thirteen seasons. Together with Pauley Perrette, he was one of only two actors to appear in all four shows of the franchise, and he made guest appearances on both NCIS: New Orleans (2014) and NCIS: Los Angeles (2015). His performance on NCIS made him a household name and a familiar face in syndication around the world.
During his time on NCIS, he also expanded behind the camera, making his directing debut with the season-eight episode “One Last Score” in 2011 and later directing the season-ten episode “Seek” in 2013. He wrote and performed original music for the show, including the songs “Bitter and Blue” and “Under the Sun,” and in 2004 he portrayed Robert Wagner in the television film The Mystery of Natalie Wood. He also served as a presenter at the 40th People’s Choice Awards in 2014 and at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2016.
Bull and Later Work (2016–2022)
In January 2016, CBS announced that Weatherly would leave NCIS after thirteen seasons and headline a new drama called Bull, loosely based on the early career of Dr. Phil McGraw. The series ran from 2016 to 2022 and allowed him to take on the lead role of Dr. Jason Bull, a trial science consultant. He also continued directing episodes of Bull during this run.
In 2024, CBS confirmed that Weatherly would reprise his role as Anthony DiNozzo in a new Paramount+ spin-off called NCIS: Tony & Ziva, with Cote de Pablo returning as Ziva David. The show was reported to be in production and is scheduled for release in 2025, marking his return to the role that defined much of his career.
Notable Works and Milestones
Weatherly’s signature works remain Dark Angel, NCIS, and Bull, along with his feature films Meet Wally Sparks, Gun Shy, and Cabin by the Lake. His 2017 documentary Jamaica Man, about British expatriate Nigel Pemberton, premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and won Best Documentary Portrait at the Doc LA – Los Angeles Documentary Film Festival, demonstrating his growing ambitions as a director and producer.
Michael Weatherly Award Nominations
Michael Weatherly has received three career nominations from major entertainment awards bodies, all tied to his early leading-man work. Two of these nominations came from the Saturn Awards for Best Supporting Actor on Television in 2001 and 2002 for his role as Logan Cale on Dark Angel, while a third came from the Teen Choice Awards in 2001 for Choice Actor in a TV Action/Adventure, also for Dark Angel.
Michael Weatherly Awards Won
Weatherly has won recognition for his work behind the camera as well as in front of it, including festival honors for his documentary directing. Jamaica Man earned him the Best Documentary Portrait award at the 2017 Doc LA – Los Angeles Documentary Film Festival, and the film later won Best Documentary at the 2018 NYC Independent Film Festival.
Michael Weatherly Family
Michael Weatherly Jr. is the son of Michael Weatherly Sr. and Patricia Weatherly (née Hetherington). He is the uncle of actress Alexandra Breckenridge, who is known for her television work in her own right. He has one son from his first marriage, and two children with his second wife, giving him a blended family of three children.
Personal Life
Weatherly married his Loving and The City co-star Amelia Heinle in February 1995, and the couple had a son before divorcing in 1997. He later had a relationship with Dark Angel co-star Jessica Alba, which began in 2000 and ended in 2003, including an engagement in 2001. He married Serbian-Canadian internist Bojana Janković on September 30, 2009, and the couple resides in Fairfield, Connecticut, with their two children. Weatherly and Janković are also involved with nonprofit organizations, including the Tryall Fund, the Environmental Working Group, and Healthy Child Healthy World.