Michael Weatherly and Robert Wagner are not, in fact, related in real life, but neither you, nor the "NCIS" casting agents, are the first to notice a resemblance. That distinction goes to the producers of "The Mystery of Natalie Wood" (2004).

Six years before Wagner appeared on "NCIS" as the father of Weatherly's character, Weatherly actually portrayed Wagner in that film, which told the story of the mysterious death of Wagner's wife, rising starlet Natalie Wood.

Weatherly said in an interview with "Movieline.com" that he and Wagner have become friends since doing "NCIS" together, and he now realizes that his portrayal of Wagner in the film wasn't necessarily true to life.

"I think I was more playing what I had seen of him on screen. As it turns out, I was not doing an impression of R.J. Wagner as much as I was doing an impression of the roles he played."

To be fair, they were some great roles. The one-time Hollywood heartthrob played a dynamic, romantic lead in such films as "Prince Valiant" (1954) and "The True Story of Jesse James" (1957) and in the spy series "It Takes a Thief" from 1968 to 1970.

He's still probably best remembered for playing jet-setting detective Jonathan Hart on the detective series "Hart to Hart" from 1979 to 1984 (and in a couple of subsequent telefilms).

It's that long experience that initially thrilled Weatherly when they started working together.

"This is a guy that drank with Humphrey Bogart and got on-the-job advice and training from guys like Spencer Tracy and Cary Grant. He bridges a generation of Hollywood that I find really fascinating."

For the record, Weatherly's real-life dad (also named Michael -- the "NCIS" star is in fact a "junior") was a very successful businessman, having reportedly been the first person to import the Swiss Army Knife to the United States.

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