NCIS’ McGee Actor Details Injury While Filming Car Wash Scene

Summary

• NCIS
  star Sean Murray reveals a thumb injury sustained while filming a car wash scene for the show.
• Murray slipped and fell on his right hand while running, and the actor still reports limited mobility in his right thumb years later.
• At the time, though, Murray continued on with the scene, only noticing he was hurt after the fact.

NCIS star Sean Murray, who portrays agent Timothy McGee, details an injury that occurred while filming the car wash scene. The CBS series focusing on various criminal investigations and partnerships between the Major Case Response Team features many memorable sequences. While pursuing a suspect in season 2, McGee ended up running through a functioning car wash, but soon realized that Gibbs (Mark Harmon) had outsmarted him. Along with Murray and Harmon, the cast of NCIS has included Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, Cote de Pablo, Sasha Alexander, Rocky Carroll, and more.

Appearing on the Spotify podcast Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch, Murray discussed how he got injured during the car wash scene. Check out the clip below:

The actor revealed that he was running and fell on his hand, noting: “To this day I have very limited mobility in my right thumb.” When co-host de Pablo questioned whether it was a stunt, Murray hilariously added: “No, that was me coming down on my hand.” Read more of his comments below:

”
I know, running through that car wash, which I did many times and was a real car wash. I remember taking a sharp right… I take a sharp right, my dress shoes come out right from under me because I’m sprinting. I come down on my right hand. And, you know, like a lot of us actor types, we jump up, we just keep doing our thing. We don’t even really notice what we do until afterwards. To this day I have very limited mobility in my right thumb.
”

Why Murray’s NCIS Car Wash Injury Is Surprising

NCIS Has Featured Much Bigger Stunts Over The Years

Perhaps the most surprising part about Murray’s incident is that it never appeared on-screen. Instead, the sequence found McGee promptly venturing into the car wash, where he struggled through rotating equipment and spray cleaner, before making his way out the exit. It’s not hard to imagine something going wrong, though, because the actor was visibly covered in soap, as he mentioned, wiping away suds that were on his face more than once.

By NCIS season 22, there will have been numerous close-quarter fights and rescue scenes, including the orchestrating of Ziva (de Pablo), DiNozzo (Weatherly), and McGee’s escape from Somalia early in season 7. Out of the many action scenes that occur during the procedural, it’s interesting that McGee’s car wash moment actually resulted in injury. While less energetic or high-stakes than other sequences, the comments from de Pablo and Weatherly suggest that it could have been a stunt.

NCIS
season 22 was confirmed in April as the show continues to generate steady ratings for CBS.

It’s worth wondering how long that NCIS car wash scene took Murray to film and what kind of challenges it presented, apart from a lack of visibility and slippery surfaces. Given what he recently said about it (that it managed to be a surprisingly painful experience), at least the actor is able to speak about it with some levity now.

What To Expect From McGee’s Story In NCIS Season 22

Murray’s McGee Had It Easy In NCIS Season 21 Compared To His Teammates

Murray’s McGee didn’t have a lot to do in NCIS season 21, at least compared to all of his Major Case Response Team (MCRT) co-workers. Nick Torres was almost sent to prison for a murder he didn’t commit, followed by Ducky Mallard passing away, albeit peacefully in his sleep. Director Leon Vance was shot in the NCIS 1000th episode, while Alden Parker was also severely injured. Finally, Jessica Knight’s future in the squad remains uncertain. Throughout all of this, McGee only had to deal with a rather minor family snafu, allowing him to be a stable presence during those aforementioned tough moments.

Heading into NCIS season 22, expect McGee to have some compelling personal arcs. Perhaps the reason why he didn’t get much in the previous year was because of the significantly fewer episodes in season 21. As the most veteran member of MCRT, however, it’s only a matter of time before he gets a major personal breakthrough, maybe through a hoped-for on-screen reunion between him and his sister, Sarah. Otherwise, it may once again involve Delilah, a familiar storyline for McGee but one that continues to be enjoyable.

NCIS
season 21 had only 10 episodes due to the 2023 writers and actors strikes.

Will Murray’s McGee Reunite With Tony & Ziva On The Screen?

Weatherly & De Pablo Are Headlining A New NCIS Spinoff

Seeing Murray reunite with Weatherly and de Pablo for Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch is a treat, especially since the trio hasn’t been together like this in a decade. The trio is widely regarded as Gibbs’ best team and was on the show during some of its best years. This get-together raises questions about the possibility of McGee, DiNozzo, and David sharing the screen again after 10 years. For context, both Tony and Ziva have returned to NCIS and reunited with McGee, but separately. Ideally, all three would be together in NCIS in any capacity.

However, a much better option is for McGee to appear on
NCIS: Tony & Ziva
— the upcoming spinoff that will follow the pair and their daughter, Tali, on the run across Europe.

Luckily, there are a few ways that this can happen. Firstly, Tony and Ziva can come back to MCRT for a guest appearance. Considering their history with the team, they will likely always be welcomed by Director Vance. However, a much better option is for McGee to appear on NCIS: Tony & Ziva — the upcoming spinoff that will follow the pair and their daughter, Tali, on the run across Europe. It shouldn’t be difficult to imagine McGee lending a helping hand in case the couple requires his assistance. Maybe it could also be how Abby Sciuto returns to NCIS.

Source: Spotify