‘NCIS: Origins’ Casts Austin Stowell as Young Gibbs in Prequel About Mark Harmon’s Character

Meet the new young Jethro Gibbs: Austin Stowell.

CBS has announced that Stowell, who has been seen in A Friend of the Family and Catch 22, has been cast as young Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS: Origins, the prequel already ordered to series for the 2024-2025 season. Mark Harmon starred as Gibbs on NCIS for 19 seasons, and his son, Sean Harmon, played a young version of the character in flashbacks. Both Mark and Sean Harmon are executive producers on the new series, and Mark will also serve as narrator.

Origins explores Gibbs’ early years, beginning in 1991, years prior to the events of NCIS. (See Mark Harmon in 1988’s The Presidio below, for comparison.) In the series, Gibbs starts his career as a newly minted special agent at the fledgling NIS Camp Pendleton office where he forges his place on a gritty, ragtag team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks.

© Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection

The prequel was ordered to series by CBS in January. “We’re thrilled to be bringing this new chapter to life along with Mark and Sean Harmon,” said executive producers and co-showrunners Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North, who will co-write the premiere episode, in a statement at the time. “This really is the making of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. And even the most dedicated NCIS fans will discover that they don’t know the whole story.”

Added Sean Harmon, “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. 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.”

NCIS: Origins isn’t the only new series in the franchise coming soon. Paramount+ has also ordered a spinoff centered around Tony (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva (Cote de Pablo), following them in Europe. And this comes as the franchise celebrates is 1,000th episode, on NCIS, in April.

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