Ever wondered if actors stand in front of the mirror to practice their parts? Well, one NCIS star says he never needed to do that.
There is no denying that Wilmer Valderrama is a man of many talents. Best known for playing the role of Fez on That ’70s Show from 1998 until 2006, Valderrama is currently part of the main cast of NCIS. He plays as Special Agent Nick Torres.
In a 2018 interview with Australian morning show Studio 10, the actor reflected on his time on That ’70s Show and NCIS. He even explained why he never had to practice holding a weapon for the show.
“When you got the gig in ‘NCIS’ do you stand at home in front of a mirror and practice how you’re going to hold the gun to make it your moment?” one of the show’s hosts asked Valderrama.
“I don’t because I did it all through me teens,” Valderrama laughed. “Right? So, when you are a kid, you look at yourself in the mirror and you have the things you do that you hope that you look like when you actually eventually do it. But you’re always wrong — you never really look that cool. But you look at yourself in the mirror and you look super awesome.”
You can watch the entire interview with the That ’70s Show and NCIS star down below:
‘NCIS’ Star Says Diversity is ‘Very Important’ to Him
Wilmer Valderrama first moved to the United States in his early teens. But at that time, he didn’t necessarily see himself getting involved in the television industry. He wants minority teens nowadays to be able to see themselves on screen.
“It’s very important to me. When I first got to the United States back in ’93 or ’94, I didn’t see myself in television. Or at the very least, I didn’t see myself in television with aspirational roles that made me want to be that or think that I could.”
Valderrama doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk. Outside of TV, the 41-year-old works to promote diversity in a number of different ways. He serves on the executive board of the Voto Latino Foundation. It’s an organization that helps promote voter registration with the Latino community. Valderrama is also the co-founder of HARNESS — a social justice group that share the stories of marginalized communities in hopes of sparking change.
“Diversity is something that is critical and is very urgent in America,” he continued. “We need to normalize a lot of our minorities. Specifically in this national conversation as we have this interesting look to immigration. It’s important that young people see themselves in television and normalize the conversation of diversity. Because that’s what America is, right?”
