Wilmer Valderrama Enters 10th NCIS Season, Expands Media Empire

Wilmer Valderrama returns Tuesday for his 10th season as Special Agent Nick Torres on CBS’ procedural “NCIS,” a milestone that coincides with a rapid expansion of his off-screen business portfolio across documentary filmmaking, audio production and nonprofit advocacy.

The actor’s transition from ensemble television performer to media entrepreneur has accelerated in recent years. Through his production company WV Entertainment, Valderrama released the documentary “Suárez” on FS1 in September, chronicling the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race. The project marks a deliberate push into sports storytelling, a genre where Latino representation behind the camera remains disproportionately low despite massive Hispanic viewership in motorsports.

Simultaneously, Valderrama launched WV Sound to curate Latin-focused podcasts for iHeartMedia, positioning himself within the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. audio market. Industry data consistently shows Spanish-language and bilingual podcast consumption surging among younger demographics, a space major networks are aggressively targeting.

His advocacy work extends beyond entertainment. Valderrama co-founded Harness alongside America Ferrera and Ryan Piers Williams, an organization dedicated to amplifying underrepresented communities through civic engagement and media campaigns. The initiative reflects a broader trend among established Hollywood actors leveraging industry capital for structural advocacy rather than traditional celebrity endorsements.

Valderrama’s roots in Los Angeles trace back to 1994, when his family relocated from Venezuela to Van Nuys shortly before the Northridge earthquake struck the San Fernando Valley. He arrived without speaking English, navigating a region defined by its distinct ZIP codes and cultural enclaves. That geographic and demographic diversity shaped his approach to both acting and business development.

He purchased his current home in Tarzana in 2006 at age 26, immediately after wrapping production on “That ‘70s Show.” Uncertain about his future employment prospects in Hollywood at the time, he bought the property previously owned by Chuck Norris. He now lives there with his wife, model and PADI divemaster Amanda Pacheco, and their two children, Nakano Oceana, 5, and Wolf Monte, 1.

Tarzana anchors his daily routine. He frequents Laidrey Coffee Roasters, a local shop that roasts its own beans. His intense focus on coffee curation stems directly from his grandfather, who farmed coffee in Pereira, Colombia—a municipality located in the heart of Colombia’s Eje Cafetero, or Coffee Axis, a UNESCO-recognized cultural landscape responsible for some of the world’s most sought-after Arabica beans.

Weekends typically involve coastal drives along the Pacific Coast Highway. The family visits Malibu Farm Pier Cafe for brunch before paddleboarding near the Malibu pier, taking advantage of waters calmed by afternoon tidal shifts. Further north on PCH, Neptune’s Net serves as a regular stop. The rustic seafood restaurant gained global recognition after featuring prominently in the 2001 film “The Fast and the Furious,” cementing its status as a Southern California cultural landmark.

Dinner often means Korean barbecue at House of Galbi in Encino, where Valderrama favors the all-you-can-eat prime rib and house hot sauce, or sushi at Okumura, also in Encino. Okumura represents a specific culinary cross-pollination increasingly common in the San Fernando Valley: a Japanese-trained kitchen staffed by Mexican chefs executing precise sushi techniques while integrating regional flavors like jalapeño and ponzu into dishes such as their signature blue crab hand roll.

“NCIS” enters its 10th season with Valderrama on Tuesday, maintaining its position as one of the most-watched broadcast dramas in the United States nearly two decades after its 2003 premiere.