Sean Murray has been playing Senior Field Agent Timothy McGee in NCIS since the show’s inception in 2003. His portrayal of the cybersecurity and computer crime expert has been loved by fans.
However, during the course of the show, there was a major change in his character that bugged several viewers. In NCIS season 8, Sean Murray’s (and hence Timothy McGee’s) voice changed drastically.
The actor went from having a soft voice to a husky and rough tone. The change was never explained by the actor or the series creators, but fans noticed that Sean had a physical transformation around the same time as he lost significant weight, which could be a reason behind him sounding different.
Another possible reason is that the voice change was an idea to bring more gravitas to Timothy McGee’s character. Let’s explore these possible reasons in detail.
The possible reasons behind Sean Murray's voice change on NCIS
Since the beginning of NCIS, Timothy McGee was seen as a nerdy cybersecurity expert who always spoke softly. However, in the 8th season, which was aired in 2010, there was a noticeable change in actor Sean Murray's voice, which still amuses some fans.
He started having a hoarseness in his voice and continues to have it to date. The change was never addressed in NCIS. However, fans observed Murray transformed physically around the same time when his voice changed. He lost 25 lbs ahead of the season 8 premiere in 2010.
Confirming how he maintained a healthy lifestyle to lose weight, Murray wrote on Twitter (now X):
“To those who have asked what I did to lose the 25 lbs: 14 months of no alcohol and almost no sugar. Ate strictly organic.”
As per experts, weight does affect a person's voice, as being overweight can lead to a lighter voice in males. Hence, the shift in weight could have affected Murray's voice, leading it to become heavy and raspy.
Meanwhile, with the physical transformation, there came visible changes in the character of Timothy McGee. The detective became more confident about himself. He went from being a geeky computer enthusiast to a detective people could rely on. Hence, the change in voice could also have been done intentionally to suit McGee’s new personality traits.
More about Sean Murray's character on NCIS
Sean Murray has been playing Timothy McGee for 22 seasons now. He starts as a shy and tech-smart agent but grows into a strong leader. He first worked at the Norfolk Naval Base and sometimes helped Gibbs' team before joining the agency full-time in 2004.
Over the years, he becomes the Senior Field Agent and later second-in-command under Alden Parker after Gibbs leaves. McGee is a Johns Hopkins graduate and a computer expert. At first, he is nervous and unsure of himself, but he gains confidence and becomes a skilled investigator.
Talking about what keeps him going even after all these years on NCIS, Murray said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2023:
“I know people love to say this but I actually mean it: we have a blast on set. We really do. We work hard, but we have a lot of fun, and a lot of us spend time with each other outside of the set. We're all very close friends, and I think that that shows.”
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