NCIS: Origins casts young Leroy Jethro Gibbs for prequel series

It was reported earlier this year that CBS had given a straight-to-series order to NCIS: Origins, a prequel series about young Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Well, the role of the iconic character has now been filled as it was announced today that Austin Stowell will be playing the character in the new series.

NCIS: Origins will be narrated by Mark Harmon, who played Gibbs on NCIS for nearly twenty years, and takes place in 1991, years prior to the events of NCIS. The description reads: “In the series, Gibbs starts his career as a newly minted special agent at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office where he forges his place on a gritty, ragtag team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks.”

Austin Stowell is known for movies such as Dolphin Tale, Whiplash, Bridge of Spies, Colossal, Battle of the Sexes, Fantasy Island, and more, as well as TV shows such as The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Public Morals, Catch-22, Amazing Stories, The White Lotus, and A Friend of the Family.

Mark Harmon and his son Sean Harmon, who actually played a younger Gibbs in a handful of episodes, got the ball rolling on the prequel series and will executive produce alongside David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal, who are serving as co-showrunners of the series. “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. “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 NCIS franchise is one of the biggest in television history, with the 21st season of the mothership series premiering last month. It has also spawned numerous spinoffs, including NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS: Hawai’i, and NCIS: Sydney. In addition to NCIS: Origins, another spinoff series is being developed for Paramount+, which will see Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo reprise their roles of Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David.