Published: November 13, 2024

What does Mark Harmon really think about NCIS: ORIGINS?

By Movieguide® Contributor

Mark Harmon may not have as big of an acting role on NCIS: ORIGINS, but he’s still very involved.

He reflected on his role as narrator for the show in an interview with Parade.

“That was fun because both (showrunners) Gina (Lucita Monreal) and David (J. North) have a long history with the show and I go way back with both of them,” he said. “So I was always going to be a part of this, so that wasn’t a surprise. What’s the surprise about Gibbs. Sometimes I don’t have a lot of things to do in an episode and sometimes I have a lot of things to do and that’s putting words in the mouth of a character who traditionally said a lot with very little.

READ MORE: NCIS: ORIGINS 1.1 AND 1.2 “ENTER SANDMAN – PART 1 AND PART 2” REVIEW

Harmon added that he is very happy with the decision to cast Austin Stowell as the young Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

“We are happy with the cast,” he said. “Austin is a good kid and a nice actor. I think back to all the weeks we spent in the casting offices putting that cast together and we couldn’t be happier with this cast, but at the same time I think back to the original show, like the first four years, and shaping the show and how many changes there were in those first four years. There were enormous changes, and you expect that there will be no different changes in this area.”

Harmon’s son Sean Harmon, executive producer for ORIGINS, previously spoke about how young Gibbs differs from his father’s version.

“The character of Gibbs has resonated with audiences worldwide because he is a role model and someone you can identify with,” said Sean Harmon, Mark Harmon’s son who served as executive producer. “The world is used to seeing Gibbs as ‘the boss,’ but in NCIS: ORIGINS we’re dealing with a much less tempered version of him. Fans can look forward to a more intimate look at what makes Gibbs tick, and meet some of the characters who influenced him along the way.”

READ MORE: NCIS: ORIGINS IS ‘GRITTIER’ THAN PRESECUTORS. IS IT WORTH A WATCH?

ORIGINS just received a full-season order from CBS last week.

“NCIS: ORIGINS adds a brilliant new dimension to the NCIS franchise with an origin story from Leroy Jethro Gibbs and a cinematic ’90s experience with diverse characters, stories and crime solving,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment.