How Mark Harmon feels about ‘NCIS: Origins’ and new Gibbs, Austin Stowell!!!!

PASADENA, Calif. – Mark Harmon has witnessed the star power of Austin Stowell, who is set to portray a younger version of his iconic character, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, in the upcoming series NCIS: Origins.

As an executive producer on the NCIS prequel spinoff, Harmon was present when Stowell auditioned for the role of a young Gibbs, set in 1991. Fellow executive producer Gina Lucita Monreal, who also worked on NCIS: Origins, was immediately impressed. According to Harmon, Monreal “swooned” when Stowell, best known for his role in The Hating Game, stepped into the audition room after a long day of auditions.

“I joked about Gina swooning, but the truth is, she did. She may deny it, but she did,” Harmon shared with USA TODAY during the Television Critics Association event on Saturday. “And when (Stowell) walked out of the room, she said, ‘Now that guy is a star!’”

The NCIS franchise will need Stowell’s star power when NCIS: Origins premieres on October 14 on CBS. Stowell, 39, will take the lead in the prequel series, which will air Monday nights, following the 22nd season of the flagship NCIS.

The new series promises to explore the early days of Gibbs’ career, with Stowell stepping into the beloved role that Harmon originated.

Mark Harmon’s portrayal of Leroy Jethro Gibbs became the heart of NCIS when the series first premiered on CBS in 2003. The former U.S. Marine Corps Scout sniper-turned-special-agent led his team for 18 years until his final episode aired in October 2021.

What Role Does Mark Harmon Have in NCIS: Origins?

Aside from serving as an executive producer on NCIS: Origins, Harmon, 72, will also narrate the new prequel series, which follows a young Gibbs as a newly appointed special agent at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office, set about 12 years before the original NCIS.

“I’m fine with stepping back and letting the new cast take the reins,” Harmon shared about his behind-the-scenes role. “I’m pleased to be part of it. I’m a distant part. I’m just here to support.”

During Harmon’s time on NCIS, his son Sean Harmon often portrayed the younger version of Gibbs in flashbacks. It was Sean who first conceived the idea for the spinoff while filming the 400th episode of NCIS in 2020.

“It was a lightning-bolt moment,” Sean explained. “Gibbs is a guy with something broken inside, someone who could have gone down a darker path.” NCIS: Origins will dive deeper into Gibbs’ backstory, including the traumatic loss of his wife and child early in his career.

Did Sean Harmon Want to Play Young Gibbs in NCIS: Origins?

Although Sean had previously played young Gibbs, he did not pursue the role in NCIS: Origins. Instead, the series will feature Austin Stowell in the part, while Sean continues to play a key creative role behind the scenes.

On NCIS, Gibbs had 30 years to come to terms with his trauma, but according to Sean Harmon, NCIS: Origins will portray a different side of the character. “In NCIS: Origins, this is a man with all the trauma and none of the answers,” Sean explained.

Although Sean, 36, had previously played the younger Gibbs, he made it clear that he never intended to portray the role full-time after NCIS. “It was an absolute honor to step into the role, and it’s something I’ll always hold close to my heart,” Sean said. “But I never planned to make a career out of it.”

During the TCA presentation, there was some playful debate about who exactly swooned when Austin Stowell, the actor cast as young Gibbs, auditioned for the role. David North, executive producer of NCIS and NCIS: Origins, humorously claimed it was him who got weak in the knees. To settle the banter, Stowell joked, “Let’s just be clear—somebody swooned.”

Stowell, reflecting on the role, emphasized the differences between the Gibbs audiences know and the younger version of him: “This isn’t the Gibbs the world knows. This is someone broken, searching for his identity after the loss of his wife and child.” He also recounted the invaluable advice Mark Harmon gave him during the screen test: “Mark came up to me and said two words I’ll never forget—‘trust yourself.’”

After just a week of filming, Stowell likened himself to baseball legend Lou Gehrig, saying, “I feel like the luckiest man in the world. It’s only Week 1, but we’re creating something very special here.”

Will Mark Harmon Ever Return to NCIS?

When asked by reporters whether he’d ever reprise his role as Gibbs, Harmon responded thoughtfully, “I don’t know. It’s really about feeling like you’ve fulfilled a role. I’ve always let the writers lead the way.”

Asked whether he’s been invited back for a guest appearance, Harmon quipped, “Not that I’m aware of. But I’ve just changed agents, so who knows?”

In his final NCIS scene, Gibbs chose to stay in Alaska after solving his last case, while Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) and the team returned to Washington D.C. Reflecting on his character’s fate, Harmon added, “I don’t think he’s still standing in that stream, but other than that, I don’t know. Maybe he’s still in Alaska. I just wanted to honor Gibbs finding a peace that had eluded him for a long time—it just made sense.