NCIS Star Reveals Mark Harmon’s Powerful Advice That Changed Everything!

NCIS: Origins’—How Mark Harmon’s Advice Is Shaping the Prequel’s Young Stars

NCIS is one of television’s longest‑running franchises, and its newest offshoot, NCIS: Origins, rewinds to the 1990s to chart the rise of future legend Leroy Jethro Gibbs. While Mark Harmon narrates and executive‑produces, the younger Gibbs is played by Austin Stowell—joined by an unlikely partner, Special Agent Bernard “Randy” Randolf, portrayed by Caleb Foote.

The “Godfather” Speaks

Foote told Entertainment Tonight that Harmon—whom he calls “the godfather of NCIS”—pulled him aside with one simple directive:

“Trust who you are.”

That authenticity, Foote says, has informed every scene he shoots as Randy, a character meant to guide Gibbs yet destined to forge a far different mentor‑rookie dynamic than fans might expect.

Building the Gibbs We Know

Showrunners David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal insist Season 2 will continue Gibbs’s slow transformation from earnest rookie to the steely leader introduced in 2003:

“We’re inching our way there… Season 1 showed his gut was already churning. Those are all stepping stones toward becoming the Gibbs fans first met.”

What’s Next

Renewed in February while Season 1 was still airing, NCIS: Origins left viewers with a cliff‑hanger: Gibbs’s confidante Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino) bleeding in an overturned car. Season 2—arriving on CBS this fall—promises answers and a more assertive Gibbs.

Catch up: Stream NCIS: Origins Season 1 on Paramount+ now, and stay tuned for more updates as production on Season 2 gets underway.