Mark Harmon, widely known for playing Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs on the hit CBS drama “NCIS,” is stepping behind the camera as executive producer and narrator of the new spin-off “NCIS: Origins.”
After nearly two decades in the role, Harmon is now helping to bring Gibbs’ early years to life, with actor Austin Stowell portraying a young version of the iconic character.
“You’ve come and auditioned here for years and years, and all of a sudden, you’re presented with a badge with your name on it,” Stowell said of now working at the Paramount Group.
The show’s set features scenes at Camp Pendleton, including locations like Daley’s Tavern, a bar just outside the base. For Stowell, this is the role of a lifetime.
“I felt very confident in what I could bring to the character, and the minute she walks into the room, all that goes out the window,” Stowell said.
Casting the role of young Gibbs in “NCIS: Origins” was an important decision for the team, because it meant finding someone to take on the character that Harmon had made so iconic. Set in 1991, the film explores Gibbs’s early days as a rookie agent.
Harmon saw the project as an opportunity to delve deeper into the character’s backstory, and introduce Gibbs who had never been seen before in the original series.
“This is an opportunity to dig deeper,” Harmon said.
The role also brings a more personal and emotional story for Gibbs, which explores his grief after losing his wife and child.
“He’s in rough shape,” Harmon said.
Stowell drew on his personal experiences to portray Gibbs’ pain. His father died by suicide four years ago.
“Loss is something we all deal with, and for Gibbs, this is the thing that traumatized him to the core,” Stowell said.
Harmon was a constant presence on set, providing guidance to Stowell and the rest of the cast.
“From day one, Mark was available,” Stowell said. “He’s very good at letting the people on this show feel supported.”
Harmon explained that this new chapter of “NCIS” belongs to a younger cast.
“I’m there to help them and talk to them or tell them what I remember from being in this for a while. But that’s their thing,” Harmon said.
Natalie Morales
