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A Disney movie that’s been two years in the making welcomes an NCIS fan-favourite to its cast. Actor Wilmer Valderrama ’s career may have taken off when he starred as Fez in the 1990s sitcom That ‘70s Show but nowadays he’s more closely associated with Agent Nick Torres in NCIS. The 45-year-old has been behind the charismatic and rebellious agent for almost 10 years so has firmly placed himself at the heart of the team alongside chief medical examiner Jimmy Palmer (played by Brian Dietzen) and Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray). But Valderrama is taking a break from solving head-scratching crimes so he can join the cast of a very different project in the shape of the highly anticipated Disney film Zootopia 2. The star took to Instagram this week to confirm the news and fans couldn’t help but share their excitement at his latest role. Alongside a picture of his animated hippo character Higgins, Valderrama wrote: “The hippo is out of the bag. “I’m joining the Zootopia family as Higgins! Watch #Zootopia2 only in theaters November 26th. Tickets are on sale now.” The NCIS star’s character Higgins is a hippo that works at the Zootopia Police Department (ZPD) in the sequel and is working alongside fellow hippo Bloats. She is voiced by none other than Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Twisted Metal actress Stephanie Beatriz. In response to the announcement, a fan exclaimed: “Freaking out”, as another user posted: “This is amazing! So fun!” An NCIS fan commented: “Omggg this is soo awesome.. Here comes special agent Torres to Zootopia” with someone else writing: “I’m obsessed with this!” It’s been nine years since the original Zootopia film was released, where rookie police officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), a bunny, was partnered up with con artist fox Nick Wide (Jason Bateman) to crack a case. Confirmation came that the world of Zootopia was coming back for a second film two years ago when the Disney film started development. Voice recordings began in April 2024 with the film set to be released on November 26, 2025. As well as Valderrama, Zootopia 2 is going to welcome new stars like Frozen’s Josh Gad, Dwayne Johnson and The Princess and the Frog star Anika Noni Rose. Zootopia 2 premieres on Wednesday, November 26, and NCIS season 23 continues every Tuesday on CBS.
