
Photo: Kevin Paul / CC BY 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Dietzen is the quiet MVP of the NCIS ensemble, and I have a real soft spot for how he grew Jimmy Palmer from a nervous, comic-relief autopsy assistant into one of the show's most quietly emotional anchors. That's a rare thing on network TV: a recurring side character who earns a full arc over two decades. The episode he co-wrote, dealing with Palmer's grief, was genuinely affecting and showed a creative ambition beyond just hitting his marks. He embodies the underrated value of the dependable supporting actor who makes a sprawling procedural feel like home. Steady, warm, and easy to root for.
Overview
Brian Dietzen (born November 14, 1977) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying medical examiner Dr. Jimmy Palmer on the long-running CBS television series NCIS, a role he has played since 2004. He has also occasionally written for the series.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Brian Dietzen
- Name (Japanese)
- ブライアン・ディーツェン
- Reading
- ぶらいあん・でぃーつぇん
- Born
- November 14, 1977 (age 48)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Snake
- Origin
- Barrington, Illinois, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- Actor / Television actor / Film actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- University of Colorado Boulder
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Actor — see all → · Television actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.