Tom Ellis Explains Why Bill Rejected the Promotion in 'CIA'

When Bill Goodman (Nick Gehlfuss) gets the chance to take over as ASAC at the end of the first season of CIA and chooses to stay by Colin Glass’s side, the audience’s first instinct is to read it as loyalty. But according to Tom Ellis, that’s not the whole explanation.

In an interview with Omelete, the actor, who plays Colin in the series, offered another angle on his character’s partner’s decision. Ellis recalled that Bill joined the CIA task force thinking it would be temporary. "I think for Bill, what I love about his journey is that I think he believed he’d be there for a short period of time and that he had a reason for being there," he said. According to the actor, what no one expected was the effect that world would have on Bill himself.

According to Ellis, day-to-day life at the agency shakes convictions Bill once saw as non-negotiable. "Yes, it conflicts with his moral compass, and yes, he’s doing a lot of things that really clash with his instincts," he explained. Even so, the character doesn’t back down.

According to the actor, that very clash is what reveals something new about Bill. "Actually, I think what he realizes is that he’s getting far more out of this experience than he ever expected," Ellis said, suggesting that turning down the promotion has less to do with giving up an achievement and more to do with not wanting to give up something else he discovered along the way.

For Ellis, Bill’s final decision sums up that discovery in a single sentence. "I think the reason he turned down the promotion is partly because of Colin, but I think it’s mainly because of Bill, because I think he found his calling in life," the actor said, making it clear that his bond with Colin is only part of the equation.

Ellis also brought up a recurring bit of needling between the two characters throughout the season, one that takes on new weight in light of Bill’s decision. "That’s something Colin always challenged him on, like, ‘you know, it’s this and that, but you’re going to love it.’ And Bill was like, ‘no,’" the actor said, laughing as he remembered the scene.

According to Ellis, the turning point is precisely the confirmation that Colin was right about his partner all along. "To everyone’s surprise, Colin was right," he summed up, pointing to a dynamic that should remain central in CIA’s already-confirmed second season on CBS.

The first season of CIA is now available in full on Universal+.