This fall, NCIS: Origins will launch on CBS, taking fans into the backstory of Leroy Jethro Gibbs and his history with the agency. Austin Stowell is taking over the role from Mark Harmon, and a new video provides the best look yet at the younger Gibbs.
The video was shared on the official Instagram account for NCIS. From the set of NCIS: Origins, the video reveals Stowell going through his transformation to more closely resemble the Gibbs character. This means getting a shave and a haircut before putting on Gibbs-style clothing, making Stowell look a lot like a younger version of Harmon. The video can be watched below.
“This is Gibbs dealing with the loss of his wife and child. This is not the Gibbs that the world knows as the team leader who’s always put together,” Stowell recently said about his version of Gibbs, per Deadline. “This is someone who is broken, who is trying to find his identity. Mark did come up to me and said two words, ‘trust yourself.’”
There Will Be Some Other Familiar Characters in NCIS: Origins
Kyle Schmid also stars in the series as the younger Special Agent Mike Franks, the character played by Muse Watson in the original NCIS. It was recently reported that the series had also cast Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live) and Lori Petty (Tank Girl) as a lead forensic analyst and an assistant medical examiner, respectively. Other stars include Tyla Abercrumbie, Mariel Molino, and Diany Rodriguez.
Stowell is playing the younger Gibbs, but in a way, Mark Harmon is still reprising the role. Harmon is serving as the narrator for the series, providing the voice of the older Gibbs. He is also executive producing the prequel show alongside his son, Sean Harmon, who played a younger Gibbs in flashback scenes in the original NCIS.
“The character of Gibbs has been an important part of my life for 20 years, both in watching my father craft the role and previously having the honor to play young Gibbs myself,” Sean Harmon said in a statement when the series was announced in January. “I always felt there was a tale worth telling about his earlier years, so I am thrilled to be stepping into a producing role alongside Gina, David and my dad as we tell this story and reveal a new side of this beloved character.”
The show is one of multiple new NCIS spinoffs that are on the way. Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo are returning as Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David in a Paramount+ series called NCIS: Tony & Ziva. NCIS will also continue, as will the Australian spinoff, NCIS: Sydney. NCIS: Hawai’i was recently canceled.
