Robert Wagner Talks Magic Awards, His 'NCIS' Guest Role and 'Charlie's Angels'

From 'It Takes a Thief,' 'Switch' and 'Hart to Hart' to memorable, more recent stints on 'Seinfeld,' 'Boston Legal' and 'Two and a Half Men,' big-screen Hollywood legend Robert Wagner has, for decades, also made a big impact on TV land.

Tonight, the actor and actress wife Jill St. John jump into a fresh TV gig: Hosting 'The World Magic Awards' (8PM ET, MyNetworkTV), a two-hour spectacular that includes performances by the top acts in the magic biz -- Lance Burton, Ed Alonzo and Katalin, among them -- and helps raise funds for the Feed the Children campaign. (Check out the official site for the World Magic Awards.)

As he prepared to tape a January guest appearance for the 150th episode of 'NCIS,' the 79-year-old Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated Wagner talked to AOL TV about that guest role and his surprising connection to the series, the 'World Magic Awards' and his recent autobiography 'Pieces of My Heart,' a rich, candid Hollywood tale filled with personal details about his celebrity datemates (Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds and Barbara Stanwyck), his marriages to (and the death of) Natalie Wood and his friendships with mentors like Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Spencer Tracy and David Niven.From 'It Takes a Thief,' 'Switch' and 'Hart to Hart' to memorable, more recent stints on 'Seinfeld,' 'Boston Legal' and 'Two and a Half Men,' big-screen Hollywood legend Robert Wagner has, for decades, also made a big impact on TV land.

Tonight, the actor and actress wife Jill St. John jump into a fresh TV gig: Hosting 'The World Magic Awards' (8PM ET, MyNetworkTV), a two-hour spectacular that includes performances by the top acts in the magic biz -- Lance Burton, Ed Alonzo and Katalin, among them -- and helps raise funds for the Feed the Children campaign. (Check out the official site for the World Magic Awards.)

As he prepared to tape a January guest appearance for the 150th episode of 'NCIS,' the 79-year-old Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated Wagner talked to AOL TV about that guest role and his surprising connection to the series, the 'World Magic Awards' and his recent autobiography 'Pieces of My Heart,' a rich, candid Hollywood tale filled with personal details about his celebrity datemates (Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds and Barbara Stanwyck), his marriages to (and the death of) Natalie Wood and his friendships with mentors like Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Spencer Tracy and David Niven.

How did you get involved with the World Magic Awards?
Well, [executive producer] David McKenzie came to my wife Jill and I and asked us if we would like to [host]. And I said, 'Absolutely.' I love magic, love what it's for -- the real reason is for the children [the Feed the Children campaign]. I've been a fan of magic for a long time, and this is the ultimate magic show, the best magicians from around the world. Hosting was a wonderful experience. I hadn't done anything like that before, and Jill hadn't either. And to see these magicians doing these amazing things, and I had my grandson there with me ... it was really great.

Do you perform magic yourself?
No, I don't. I can perform a few little card tricks, but that's about it. But I did do some magic on a couple of my shows, and one of them was with Harry Blackstone. Yes, I met Harry Blackstone when we were doing 'Hart to Hart,' and I've met quite a few magicians. I'm just fascinated by them and their work.

You're also about to start filming a guest role on 'NCIS,' right?
Yes, the table read is today.

And is that for just one episode?
Yes, right now, but I think my character might come back. I certainly hope so.

You're playing Tony's dad?
Yes, I'm playing Tony DiNozzo's father, Anthony DiNozzo Sr.

Can you talk about what he'll be doing in the episode? We sort of know that Tony may have a pretty strained relationship with his dad ...
Mmm, no, I really can't. But it will be pretty character revealing, for all of them. I like the show very much, and I like this role very much. Michael Weatherly [who plays Tony] is a wonderful young man, and I've known Mark [Harmon] for awhile, so I'm really looking forward to it.

Have you had the chance to talk to Michael Weatherly about the fact that he played you in the TV movie 'The Mystery of Natalie Wood'?
Yes, that's quite a coincidence. No, I haven't had the chance to talk to him about that. I haven't seen the movie, but I understand that he was very good in it and that he portrayed me in a very positive way.





Did that have anything to do with the producers thinking of you for the 'NCIS' role?
I don't know, I don't know. I'll find out today and let you know (laughing).

You also have a recurring role on 'Two and a Half Men' ... would you consider doing another series full-time?
Well, you never know. You never know in this life, in this business, what's coming up. But yes, I would, depending on the material, and the way it's all set up, yes, I would.

I just finished reading your autobiography, 'Pieces of My Heart.' It's a great read, not just about your life, but you've included such an interesting history of Hollywood in it.
Well, thank you so much. The author I wrote it with, Scott Eyman, is such an authority on Hollywood, and in that time, and that was so helpful, because he dropped me right back [into that time] and he knew about it. I'm so glad you enjoyed it, thank you so much.

You also don't shy away from personal details -- your two marriages to Natalie Wood, infidelity in your second marriage, your relationship with Barbara Stanwyck -- but it also doesn't seem like your intent was to spark any tabloid-ish scandals. Why did you decide to write the book?
Several people had asked me to. They thought it would be interesting [for me] to write a book. But that's not easy; I thought, if I'm going to do a book, it has to be done with honesty. There isn't any other way. And I had been thinking about and thinking about it, and I thought, you know, I've had such an amazing career, and so many people have been involved in it, and I believe so much in mentors. And I've been working with a lot of young people and they ask me about that, and I just think that it's so important that you have people around you who are encouraging you to go forward and keep going at it and keep your spirits up. And I had so many people in my life [who did that], and it was just amazing how it all came together. A life and a career is a fascinating thing [to examine].

You talk in the book about being involved with the original 'Charlie's Angels' series -- were you a producer, because you had quite a bit of input into getting it off the ground, suggesting writers and other people to be involved with the show?
[Aaron] Spelling and [Leonard] Goldberg produced it, but yes, Natalie and I were involved with it, at the beginning.

Will you be involved at all with the 'Charlie's Angels' remake ABC is doing?
I don't know, I don't think so, but I might be. I'd like to be.

Maybe there would be a role for you in the remake? Maybe playing Charlie?
[Laughing] I don't know ... that would be great, though.

Another big part of your autobiography, of course, is talking about your children, which you do very lovingly. And it's no small feat to have raised children in Hollywood and not have them turn out to be tabloid magnets like so many Hollywood offspring are -- to what do you owe that?
Well, I think a lot of that has to do with them. But, you know, we're all very close. But yes, I think they're very well-adjusted. Though, I mean [laughs], every family's a little bit unadjusted, aren't they? It's not a picnic ... everybody has their problems, but I think the fact that we've been very open with each other. We were all very close to each other when Natalie [died]. And, I think, a lot of fortune; I've been very, very fortunate in my life, and one of the most fortunate things I've had is to have such wonderful kids.