Mark Harmon Reflects on NCIS: Origins and His Continued Role in the Franchise
Though Mark Harmon departed NCIS during Season 19, his connection to the franchise remains strong. On November 19, he’ll release the second book he co-authored with Leon Carroll Jr., Ghosts of Panama: A Strong Man Out of Control. Harmon also continues his involvement with the NCIS universe as the executive producer and narrator of the prequel series, NCIS: Origins, which just received a full-season pickup.
In an interview with Parade, Harmon shared his excitement about narrating the series, which explores the early days of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. “It’s been fun,” he says. “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, so narrating was always part of the plan.” However, Harmon admits that narrating Gibbs—who often communicated with few words—has been an interesting challenge, especially when it comes to discussing his iconic character.
When Origins was developed, it was always planned for Harmon to narrate, but his appearance in the premiere episode as Gibbs, still fishing in Alaska and working on a journal, was a surprise for fans. Harmon explains that this set the stage for his narration and provided a link to Gibbs’ current life in 2024.
The premiere also included fun Easter eggs, such as Gibbs’ first sip of bourbon, his habit of stopping an elevator for private conversations, and the origin of his famous “rules.” Harmon notes that the team behind Origins—particularly Gina and David—are enjoying revealing these moments.
Though Harmon is still involved in Origins, the series now belongs to actor Austin Stowell, who plays the young Gibbs. Harmon acknowledges that his role in this new era of Gibbs’ story is limited, though he played a key part in casting Stowell and the rest of the ensemble. “Austin is a good kid and a great actor,” Harmon says. “We’re happy with the cast, and while the show is evolving, the first few years of NCIS had huge changes, and that’s bound to happen with Origins as well.”
The good news for Origins fans is that, with its full-season pickup, including five additional episodes, there’s plenty of time to explore the early years of Gibbs and his team.
NCIS: Origins airs Monday nights at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
