Michael Weatherly

Michael Weatherly Bio

Michael Weatherly Jr. (born July 8, 1968) is an American actor, producer, director, and musician best known for leading television roles on Dark Angel, NCIS, and Bull. He began his career in the early 1990s with small television appearances and built a steady presence on network television, later expanding his work to directing and producing for television and documentary film.

Early Life and Background

Michael Weatherly Jr. was born in New York City and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut. He is the son of Patricia Weatherly (née Hetherington) and Michael Weatherly Sr., and he is of Irish descent.

Weatherly attended Fairfield Country Day School and graduated from Brooks School in North Andover, Massachusetts in 1986. He continued studies at Boston University and American University and also attended Menlo College and the American University of Paris before leaving college to pursue acting.

Path to Celebrity

Weatherly began acting with early television work in the 1990s, including a minor role on The Cosby Show and daytime appearances in soap operas. He appeared as Cooper Alden on the soap operas Loving and The City in the early 1990s, which established him as a working television actor and led to further opportunities in series television and film.

During this period he also pursued music, performing and writing songs while working in New York City. That music experience remained part of his creative profile as he moved into higher-profile television roles and began to take on projects behind the camera.

Michael Weatherly Career

Early Career (1990–1999)

Weatherly’s career formally began around 1990 with small television roles and daytime work. He moved to Los Angeles and gained series work, including a role on the short-lived FOX series Significant Others and a supporting part in Whit Stillman’s 1998 film The Last Days of Disco. He also appeared in episodic television such as Charmed and in films including Meet Wally Sparks (1997).

Through the 1990s Weatherly combined television series work with film projects and music performance. That decade established him as a versatile performer capable of moving between guest spots, recurring soap roles, and supporting film appearances.

Breakthrough (2000–2003)

Weatherly’s profile rose significantly with the 2000 series Dark Angel, in which he played Logan Cale. Dark Angel ran for two seasons and brought Weatherly wider recognition; his performance on the series earned him award nominations, including Saturn Awards and a Teen Choice Award nomination.

Following Dark Angel, Weatherly gained further prominence when he began portraying Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo on NCIS, first appearing in the role in 2003. The role transitioned from guest appearances on JAG into a main cast position on the NCIS franchise, becoming one of his best-known television performances and a defining part of his career.

Established Television Lead (2003–2022)

As Anthony DiNozzo, Weatherly was a central figure on NCIS for multiple seasons beginning in 2003. During his time on NCIS he expanded his contributions to the series by directing episodes, marking a transition into work behind the camera. His run on NCIS solidified his reputation as a major network television lead.

After leaving NCIS in 2016, Weatherly continued to headline on network television as the lead of Bull, a series that premiered in 2016. On Bull he also served as a director and producer on select episodes, extending his creative role beyond acting and reinforcing his multi-faceted career in television production and direction.

Notable Works and Milestones

Weatherly’s signature television roles include Logan Cale in Dark Angel, Anthony DiNozzo on NCIS, and Dr. Jason Bull on Bull. He has directed episodes of NCIS and Bull and produced projects in television and documentary film, including directing the documentary Jamaica Man, which received festival recognition.

Michael Weatherly Award Nominations

Across his career Weatherly has received several verified nominations for his television work. Notable nominations include Saturn Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor on Television in 2001 and 2002 for Dark Angel, and a Teen Choice Award nomination in 2001 for Choice Actor in the TV Action/Adventure category, also for Dark Angel.

Michael Weatherly Awards Won

Weatherly has received festival recognition for his work as a director. His documentary Jamaica Man won Best Documentary Portrait at Doc LA – Los Angeles Documentary Film Festival in 2017.

Michael Weatherly Family

Weatherly is the son of Patricia Weatherly (née Hetherington) and Michael Weatherly Sr. He is the uncle of actress Alexandra Breckenridge. His family background includes upbringing in Fairfield, Connecticut, where he spent his formative years after being born in New York City.

Personal Life

Weatherly married actress Amelia Heinle in February 1995; the marriage ended in 1997. He was later in a relationship with Jessica Alba from 2000 to 2003. In September 2009 Weatherly married Bojana Janković. He and his wife live in Fairfield, Connecticut, and maintain involvement with philanthropic causes including education and public health projects in Jamaica and other nonprofit initiatives.

Aside from acting, Weatherly is a musician who sings and plays piano and guitar and has written songs that have appeared on television soundtracks. He continues to work in front of and behind the camera as an actor, director, and producer in television and documentary film.