Stephen Amell Auditioned To Play Gibbs In NCIS: Origins, And He Explained How Losing That Role And Other Stresses Helped Him Land Suits L.A.

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Stephen Amell Auditioned To Play Gibbs In NCIS: Origins, And He Explained How Losing That Role And Other Stresses Helped Him Land Suits L.A.

As a devoted fan of Stephen Amell‘s work, I can’t help but appreciate the resilience and adaptability he’s demonstrated throughout his career. His journey from Arrow to Suits L.A., with a brief detour towards NCIS: Origins, is a testament to his versatility as an actor.

After spending eight seasons as Oliver Queen on The CW’s Arrow and a brief stint as Jack Spade in Heels, Stephen Amell is preparing for another small-screen appearance, this time on NBC. Earlier in the year, he was chosen to portray Ted Black in Suits L.A., but had circumstances been different, we might have witnessed him embodying Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the upcoming prequel series NCIS: Origins instead. Although his audition for the soon-to-be-aired show on the 2024 TV schedule didn’t pan out, that lost opportunity and other pressures in Amell’s life actually bolstered his performance during his Suits L.A. audition.

How Stephen Amell’s NCIS: Origins Audition Went

During his recent interview on “Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum”, Stephen Amell reminisced about his conversation with the host. He explained that in January, following the end of the writers and actors strikes, he had opportunities to audition for both “NCIS: Origins” and “Suits L.A.” If “NCIS: Origins” had been offered to him at that time, he might not have taken it, but he was thrilled about the chance to try out for a network show during pilot season, as such opportunities are relatively rare these days. He went on to say…

Initially, I believed the audition for Suits LA went exceptionally well, with positive feedback. However, I hadn’t seen the script before then. Later on Thursday afternoon, I learned that not only was the feedback good, but there were also promising indications about the audition’s progress. But suddenly, it seemed like everything came to a halt, leaving me feeling as if someone had inadvertently blocked my chances somewhere along the line.

Initially, Austin Stowell secured the role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the prequel series “NCIS: Origins“, set approximately a decade prior to the original show’s start. However, Stephen Amell never discovered the specific reasons why his participation in this project didn’t materialize, leaving him dismayed. Furthermore, he was single-handedly taking care of his two children while his wife was in Hawaii, and he had also received a distressing call about a personal matter that weighed heavily on him. Consequently, despite having rehearsed lines for his “Suits L.A.” audition with his 11-year-old daughter the previous day, Amell wasn’t exactly upbeat as he prepared to audition for the part of Ted Black.

How Losing Out On NCIS: Origins And More Helped Him For Suits L.A.

Indeed, during the interview, Stephen Amell revealed that the accumulation of various pressures led him to have a highly emotional breakdown over the phone with his wife while driving. He expressed this by saying he screamed and lost control.

At the audition, my anger was palpable. Upon checking myself in the mirror, my eyes were bloodshot and I looked disheveled, my pulse racing at around 130. With a mix of determination and nervousness, I entered the room, shedding any semblance of fear. In an attempt to stand out among the other applicants, I decided to play the part of this lawyer character in a more relaxed, impromptu manner. After all, everyone else seemed to be taking it very seriously. So, I chose to inject a bit of humor into the audition, hoping to bring some levity and uniqueness to my performance.

In the end, Amell’s relaxed strategy paid off when it was revealed in February that he would star in the pilot for Suits L.A.. Later in mid-July, news broke that the spinoff of USA Network’s Suits was officially happening at NBC, and a sneak peek of Amell as Ted Black was unveiled. He will be joined by Josh McDermitt, Lex Scott Davis, and Bryan Greenberg in the main cast. Similar to the original Suits, Aaron Korsh created the spinoff and is serving as showrunner.

It hasn’t been announced yet when Suits L.A. will arrive on NBC, but NCIS: Origins will begin its run on CBS Monday, October 14, airing immediately after the NCIS Season 22 premiere. Keep visiting TopMob for more coverage on both these shows and other NBC, CBS and broadcast network offerings.

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2024-09-18 04:07