‘NCIS’ Star, 31, Shares the One Piece of Veteran Advice He Got From Mark Harmon

One of the longest-running shows on television is NCIS, which has spawned several spin-offs over the years. One of the most recent offshoots of the original series is its prequel, NCIS: Origins, whcih chronicles the early years of one of NCIS‘ most beloved characters in Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The character is played by Mark Harmon in the original series, with Austin Stowell taking on the role of a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the prequel. Harmon is attached to the project as narrator and executive producer, as audiences witness the rise of Gibbs in his career. NCIS: Origins might revolve around Gibbs, but his story is not the only one being told in the prequel.Set in the 1990s, NCIS: Origins sees Gibbs as part of an unlikely team as he works towards becoming the pivotal NCIS character we all came to admire. Working alongside Gibbs is Special Agent Bernard “Randy” Randolf, played by Caleb Foote, and the actor has revealed the advice he received from Harmon as the prquel series made its way to audiences. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Foote revealed that Harmon encouraged him to remain authentic as he discharged his duties as Randy on the show. Foote’s comments read:

“He’s, he’s done it all. He’s the godfather of of NCIS. Some really big advice that that Mark Harmon had waswas just like, trust who you are.”

Could We See a Different Gibbs in ‘NCIS: Origins’ Season 2?

The arrival of Randy on NCIS: Origins was meant to assist and mentor Gibbs through his learning phase. However, the pair don’t share the ideal mentor and rookie dynamic, as they go on to craft something entirely different. Given that Gibbs within the NCIS franchise is a force of nature, it has been hard to see him operate in a less assertive manner in the prequel series. Looking ahead to Season 2, co-showrunners David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal were quizzed on the prospect of an assertive Gibbs emerging in the sophomore season.

“We’re inching our way there, definitely, in a way that we think is honest for the character. I mean, just take the fact that in Season 1, we know Gibbs’ gut was churning a little bit about Bugs and thinking, ‘Maybe there’s more to this story?’ But Gibbs didn’t go down that path, he didn’t gnaw at Franks and say, ‘Hey, my gut…’ — and he learned in the end he was right. Those are all stepping stones toward becoming the Gibbs that we met in 2003.”

NCIS: Origins was renewed for a second season in February, while the first season was still running. There are a number of questions to answer when the series returns with the fate of Gibbs’ confidante, Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino), who was last seen bleeding out in an overturned car, at the top of the list. You can watch NCIS: Origins Season 1 now on Paramount+. Tune in to CBS this fall to see what happens in NCIS: Origins Season 2. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.