‘I’m Really Happy That I Never Have To Do Them’: NCIS: Origins’ Austin Stowell Explains Why He’s Glad That Mark Harmon Does The Gibbs Narrations

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As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of TV-watching under my belt, I have to say that Mark Harmon’s narration for NCIS: Origins feels like a masterclass in character development and performance. The choice to have him narrate instead of Austin Stowell is, in my humble opinion, a stroke of genius.

As a devoted fan, I’m thrilled about NCIS: Origins, the prequel set in 1991 airing on the 2024 TV schedule, as it provides Austin Stowell an opportunity to bring the younger Leroy Jethro Gibbs to life. Interestingly, Mark Harmon, who embodied Gibbs for almost two decades on NCIS, plays a significant role in Origins, serving not just as executive producer but also as the show’s narrator. In an unexpected twist, Harmon even made an on-camera appearance during the premiere episode. Although it could have been possible for Stowell to handle both narration and on-screen performance, he recently shared his reasons for being content with Harmon taking on the narration role instead.

Stowell sat down with TVLine to talk about an assortment of NCIS: Origins topics, including why he’s looking forward to when his Gibbs and Lucas Dixon’s Tobias Fornell will meet. When the actor was asked about if Harmon comes on location to record his Gibbs narrations or if he handles those from home, Stowell answered that he believes his predecessor is “going to the lot” and doing them in a professional recording booth. Then, after saying he doesn’t hear Harmon’s vocals until viewing the completed episodes, The actor continued:

In our sessions during table reads, I provide the voiceovers, and I’m genuinely glad I don’t usually have to do them because it feels like speaking to my younger self, which could be quite emotional. And when it comes to this specific part of Gibbs’ life, I find it incredibly impactful that the voice is from a man who has learned the lessons talking to a boy who hasn’t. Hearing Mark’s voice gives me insights into how I should portray the character in the future. I believe that while Mark might think he’s learning from me too, the truth is, I’m trying to absorb everything he shares so I can better equip myself to play this role. In essence, I’m trying to learn as much as possible from him to improve my performance.

I firmly believe that Austin Stowell could deliver an excellent narration for NCIS: Origins, but I also concur with him that Mark Harmon was a superior choice for this role. In an alternate scenario, if the narrative originated from Leroy Jethro Gibbs immediately after wrapping up each case in 1991, things might have been different. However, here we’re not dealing with that; instead, we’re listening to present-day Gibbs reflecting on his life, as he has already amassed experiences his younger self is yet to acquire. Moreover, having Harmon reprise the character aids Stowell in enhancing his own portrayal.

Mark Harmon departed from NCIS during Season 19’s early episodes, and when he reappeared in the first episode of NCIS: Origins, titled “Enter Sandman Part 1,” he was still residing in the Alaskan wilderness. The older Gibbs is now recounting his beginnings at NIS, but interestingly, the story isn’t primarily focused on him this time. Instead, “Enter Sandman Part 1” delves into a narrative that Gibbs rarely shares, focusing more on Mariel Molino’s character, Lala Dominguez. It remains unclear what will transpire between these two characters, although there are whispers that Gibbs’ relationship with her could potentially lead to the development of Rule 12.

Every Monday at 10 PM Eastern Time, catch the new installments of NCIS: Origins on CBS. Following this, you can binge-watch them as much as you want with a Paramount+ subscription.

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2024-11-23 04:37