Brian Dietzen

The Supporting Actor Who Refused to Disappear

Brian Dietzen arrived on the NCIS set in 2004 for a one-episode contract. His mission was simple: play a somewhat clumsy autopsy assistant opposite veteran David McCallum. But their chemistry worked so well that the writers decided to keep him around for a couple more weeks.

Television is a meat grinder for new faces.

Dietzen didn't have the look of an action hero or the film-star pedigree of celebrities who move to the small screen. He trained at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in acting. There he spent years refining his craft in classical theater before trying his luck in Los Angeles studios.

In 2002, he landed his first major role in the series My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star. The show lasted just a few episodes before being abruptly canceled. It was his first taste of the volatility of the American entertainment industry, but not the last setback he would face before finding stability.

From Pop Disaster to the Autopsy Room

In 2003 he appeared in the film From Justin to Kelly. The project was conceived as a commercial vehicle for the winners of American Idol and ended up being an absolute disaster with critics and at the box office. Many actors would have vanished from the map after a failure of that magnitude on the big screen.

Dietzen survived the shipwreck.

His character in the Washington, D.C. morgue, Jimmy Palmer, grew in importance organically. For years he worked as a recurring actor without having his name in the series credits. In 2012 he finally signed his contract as a series regular after appearing in more than one hundred episodes as a guest star.

But his ambition wasn't limited to memorizing medical jargon in front of silicone corpses. In 2022 he decided to make the leap to the franchise's writing team. He wrote the episode titled The Helpers, an installment that put his character on the brink of death from a nerve gas attack.

And the gamble paid off.

Total Control Behind the Camera

That move allowed him to diversify his professional profile on a production known for its rigid structure. In 2023, he returned to writing with the episode Old Birds. Dietzen quickly realized that to survive on a long-running show, he needed to contribute more than just his acting.

Away from the spotlight, he keeps a low profile, a contrast to the media attention his castmates receive. He has been married to Kelly Dietzen since 2004, and they have two children. He keeps his private life out of the Hollywood tabloids. His career is a perfect example of how consistently playing a supporting role can build a solid personal fortune.

Because success in the entertainment industry isn't always about headlining neon marquees. Sometimes it's about holding on while others burn out along the way. In 2024 he renewed his contract with the studio to reach twenty-two consecutive seasons on the air.

The actor runs his own independent production company to develop short films and low-budget projects. His most recent credit as executive producer is on the short film Congratulations, which premiered on the festival circuit. He currently lives in Los Angeles, where he balances CBS shoots with technical post-production sessions.