NCIS: Origins Just Got Even Bigger – Two Major Hollywood Stars Join the Gibbs Prequel!

The eagerly awaited prequel series, NCIS: Origins, on CBS has announced the addition of two new cast members. The upcoming drama will see Mark Harmon reprising his role as Special Agent in Charge Leroy Jethro Gibbs, narrating his early days as a rookie agent at the NIS Camp Pendleton office.

Austin Stowell will portray the young team leader during his initial career phase, while Kyle Schmid will take on the role of NCIS legend Mike Franks, a character originally portrayed by Muse Watson.

Diany Rodriguez is set to play a younger Vera Strickland (first played by Roma Maffia), and viewers will be introduced to new characters Mary Jo Sullivan (Tyla Abercrumbie) and Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino).

CBS recently revealed that Lori Petty and Bobby Moynihan have also joined the cast. Lori will take on the role of Dr. Lenora Friedman, and Bobby will portray Woodrow ‘Woody’ Browne. Lenora is described as “a seasoned pathologist at the San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office. As comfortable around the dead as she is the living, her passion for the job is infectious.” Woody is “the wildly overworked senior chemist and director of the NIS Forensic Lab, who compensates for his lack of sleep with an offbeat sense of humor.”

These stars are among the biggest names added to the NCIS franchise so far. Lori is a well-known figure in Hollywood, having starred in iconic ’90s films like Point Break, Free Willy, and Tank Girl. She has since graced the screens in high-profile TV dramas such as Orange is the New Black and Station Eleven. Bobby, a familiar face from Saturday Night Live where he was part of the cast from 2008-2017, has also made appearances in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, lent his voice to animated series like DuckTales and Monsters at Work, and recently starred in the blockbuster films IF and Inside Out 2.

Fans of NCIS will have to wait a few more months to uncover Gibbs’ exciting origin story, with the new prequel set to debut this October. They can also look forward to a fresh season of the main drama in October, as well as the eagerly awaited return of Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), expected later this year or early 2025.

NCIS: Origins premieres Monday, October 22 on CBS. NCIS is available to stream on Disney+.