Will NCIS: Origins show more younger versions of the franchise’s characters?

NCIS: Origins introduced younger versions of key characters from the Mark Harmon series – but are there any other surprise appearances planned?

“I don’t want to give anything away with this,” showrunner David J. North said TV Insider on Tuesday, December 24, before specifically referencing Lucas Dixon’s cameo as Fornell earlier in the season. “We really wanted to keep the appearance of young Fornell a secret. I think it was better that we did that.

NCIS: Origins fans likely won’t know in advance if a familiar character will appear.

“People were really surprised. But I definitely saw on the Internet that there was a lot of discussion after episode 6,” North recalls. “So we want to keep them, keep them close to the vest.”

North then explained why Fornell crossed paths with Gibbs (Austin Stowell) and Franks (Kyle Schmid) so early in their journey, adding, “My coshowrunner Gina (Lucita Monreal) and I both really think it’s poetic that Fornell appeared in the pilot of what was then Navy NCIS and bringing him in earlier, I think, was really a no-brainer.

He continued: “We would like to see young Fornell return. And stay tuned. It could happen sooner rather than later.

NCIS: Originswhich premiered in October, follows a young Gibbs – a role created by Mark Harmon – years before the events of NCIS. The new series picks up less than a year after the murder of Gibbs’ wife and daughter. During Season 1, Gibbs begins a new job as a special agent at the NIS Camp Pendleton office while continuing to deal with the aftermath of the loss of his family.

Harmon made his NCIS debuted as Gibbs in 2003 and played the lead role for 18 years. His last appearance aired in late 2021 and Harmon has not returned to the flagship show since. He did, however, sign on to become the narrator of the prequel series and served as executive producer of the project alongside his eldest son, Sean Harmon.

“It’s a daunting task to recreate Gibbs and go back and try to tell this story while being respectful to the fans and the storyline of the original series,” Stowell said exclusively. Us every week in November. “We want to do our best as actors, artists, writers and storytellers. Even though there can be a lot of pressure, Mark Harmon puts us at ease and makes us feel justified in our decisions.

The actor revealed that it didn’t take long for Harmon to share his opinion on Stowell’s performance.

“He gave it to me right in the room,” Stowell joked. “He spoke clearly – maybe not about what to do – but he certainly guided me more in terms of posture and state of mind, things that I learned to inhabit more and more over time. time.”

Harmon, however, “never gave” Stowell any grades on his acting. “He leads by example. He’s a guy that I learned a lot more about being a human being from than I learned about being Gibbs,” Stowell continued. “He was very welcoming – not just to me and not just to the rest of the cast, but the whole crew. He is truly a great leader for us because he makes everyone feel comfortable.

By speaking with WeStowell explained his approach to playing Gibbs.

“Mark Harmon created this character that the world fell in love with. He did this for 20 years. I’d be a fool not to try to take some of what he did and apply it to this version of Gibbs. But it would have been a mistake to try to emulate who he is as an actor and as a man and it just didn’t appeal to me to do that,” he explained. “I I had to identify the mannerisms that were going to be innate because there are certain body movements and the way Mark speaks. There’s a certain rhythm and volume to his speech that is so unique to who he is. have definitely tried to inhabit some of them.

Stowell continued: “But it was more interesting to me to know what characteristics and behaviors Gibbs would learn over the years. So it will be so much fun to allow these behaviors to flourish and allow fans to see them come to life.

NCIS: Origins airs on CBS Mondays at 10 p.m. ET and is currently streaming on Paramount+.