Where Are They Now? Brian Dietzen

Brian Dietzen, a 1996 Niwot High School graduate, has gone on to a Hollywood acting career, where he is known mainly for his recurring role in the popular drama “NCIS.” Born in Illinois, he moved to Colorado and started acting in Niwot Elementary’s Christmas pageant and various school plays.

After graduating from Niwot High School where he performed in several theater productions, Dietzen went to the University of Colorado at Boulder to study theatre and get his BFA in acting. He got his start performing with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, as well as performing in contemporary theatrical performances such as “Equus” and “Waiting for Godot.”

Dietzen moved to Los Angeles in hopes of making it big as an actor and started writing letters directly to producers and casting directors. As he mentioned in an interview with the Daily Camera in 2012, “He didn’t know there was protocol for casting, involving agents and managers and hoops to jump through.” His unconventional and somewhat naive strategy consisted of writing producers and asking to be on their shows.

Dietzen’s TV career started with a couple flop projects, like the Warner Bros project “My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star,” which was canceled after a few weeks, and the musical film “From Justin to Kelly,” which has since gained notoriety as one of the worst films ever made. However, these projects helped him to get his foot in the door to the rest of his acting career, which was eventually fulfilled with a role on “NCIS” as Jimmy Palmer, a meek medical examiner’s assistant.

Dietzen was paired on the show with well-known actor David McCallum, who played Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard, the team's chief medical examiner and one of the show's most popular characters. McCallum died at age 90 on Sept. 25, 2023, while still a regular on the TV show.

In 2012, starting in season 10 of “NCIS,” Dietzen was promoted to a regular on the show with a contract and recognition in the opening credits. He also became the first actor on the show to co-write two episodes. In an interview with Variety magazine last year, he mentioned how he was wary to approach the idea of writing for the show. “We have one of the most talented and under-appreciated writing staffs on television, so I thought that might be seen as hubris and I didn’t want to overstep, to be honest.” he told Variety.

However, in 2019, Dietzen suffered a stroke, and began to focus more on writing due to his inability to act during his healing process. The episodes Dietzen has worked on digging deeper into his character’s previously unexplored emotions and backstory.

Dietzen wanted to flesh out his character as he didn’t want Jimmy Palmer to remain stagnant like a cartoon character. He referred to his character in earlier seasons as awkward comedic relief, saying he felt a need for change. “That beat is great. It’s so fun. But if that note plays too often…how long can you listen to a song with one note?” (Vanity, 2022).

Dietzen has also written a few independent films. Most notably his first film, “Congratulations,” looks at how a marriage proposal can destroy a relationship. In 2013 the film was nominated for Best Narrative Feature at the Oxford Film Festival, and won Best Feature at NewFilmmakers Los Angeles.

Dietzen now lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Kelly (Scoby) Dietzen, who is also a Niwot High graduate, and their two children. His character of Dr. Jimmy Palmer enjoys great success as a common fan favorite amongst “NCIS” fans.