Anthony DiNozzo

Anthony D. "Tony" DiNozzo, Jr. /dɪˈnoʊzoʊ/ is a fictional character from the CBS TV series NCIS portrayed by American actor Michael Weatherly. Created by producer Donald P. Bellisario, he appears as a series regular in the first 13 seasons before departing in the season 13 finale "Family First". He has also made guest appearances in the spin-offs NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans.

The character initially drew mixed reception, often criticized for his male chauvinism. Audience reception had improved after Weatherly decided to tone down that aspect of his portrayal, and afterwards the character was better received, but critics remained polarized on the character's "goofball personality". By 2011, Weatherly was listed among the top-10 most-popular actors on primetime television due to his portrayal of DiNozzo, according to Q Score.

In January 2016, Weatherly and CBS confirmed that season thirteen would be DiNozzo's last as a series regular. In the show, DiNozzo leaves after learning that he has a daughter with his former partner Special Agent Ziva David, who apparently died in a mortar attack on her home in Israel. DiNozzo leaves NCIS to care for his daughter.

Weatherly returned to make a cameo appearance as DiNozzo at the end of the season 21 episode "The Stories We Leave Behind", paying tribute to Ducky Mallard (David McCallum).