LONDON (AP) 鈥� Once again, Austin Stowell is having the best day ever 鈥� all thanks to him winning the role of legendary TV character Leroy Jethro Gibbs in 鈥淣CIS: Origins.鈥�
鈥淪ince I got this job, it has just been day after day after day of the greatest day of my life,鈥� says Stowell, smiling.
The actor has his shoulders back and chest up to portray the ex-Marine-turned-naval investigator, set 25 years before audiences first met 鈥淣CIS鈥� star Mark Harmon.
Harmon and his son Sean are behind the idea of this origin story of the special agent, who was on-screen for 19 seasons from 2003 to 2021, solving crimes for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in Virginia.
Stowell says he鈥檒l be doing his best to live up to the role Harmon made famous and give viewers a new perspective on 鈥渉ow the hero was born.鈥�
Harmon, who narrates and pops up occasionally in the show, has been very supportive of Stowell, making himself available to chat about life, visiting the set and even texting (something technophobic Gibbs would never).
鈥淢ark and I talk a lot about what it means to be the leader of a team, about what it means to be a leader of this set and crew," he says. "Those conversations have been invaluable to me because I don鈥檛 know what it鈥檚 like. I鈥檝e never been No. 1 on a TV show before.鈥�
The lessons he鈥檚 learned: be on time, be kind, respectful and professional.
He鈥檚 also studied up on the 鈥淣CIS鈥� universe, something he knew about but wasn't yet a super fan.
In a pop quiz Stowell correctly names all the franchise鈥檚 four spin-off shows and only stumbles when it comes to rule three of Gibbs' famous guidelines: 鈥淣ever believe what you are told.鈥�
(He keeps the full list to read from time to time.)
As for the enduring audience appeal of Gibbs, Stowell reckons it comes down to his humanity.
鈥淕ibbs doesn鈥檛 wear a cape. He just has to use his brain and use his heart. I would argue that that makes him the most super of the heroes because it鈥檚 real. It鈥檚 something that we can all accomplish.鈥�
鈥淣CIS: Origins鈥� isn鈥檛 just the procedural that people know and love, says Stowell, despite it having all the crime-solving and fun banter of the franchise.
鈥淭his is much more in the vein of a 鈥楾rue Detective鈥� or, you know, a darker crime piece. And that creates some, what could be uncomfortable situations on set. Very often I find myself kind of in a dark corner.鈥�
His co-stars and fellow NIS investigators (the C hadn鈥檛 been added in 1991 when the show starts) include Mariel Molino as Lala Dominguez and Caleb Foote鈥檚 Randy.
It鈥檚 Gibbs' first job since leaving the Marines. He鈥檚 got personal trauma and a big reputation, but he鈥檚 also got the sniper focus and built-in lie detector needed to be an integral part of this mystery solving team based at Camp Pendleton, headed up by Kyle Schmid鈥檚 charismatic Mike Franks.
鈥淚 just got to play this for the first time ... the other night where I look at a character and I just go, 鈥榊ou know, don鈥檛 you?鈥� And just get to bury them in my eyes,鈥� Stowell says, laughing.
Those eyes have been enhanced by special contact lenses to provide the correct 鈥淢ark Harmon crystal blue.鈥�
鈥淣CIS: Origins,鈥� which debuts Monday on CBS, has been shooting for three and half months. In that time Stowell has come to realize the parallels between himself and Gibbs, a character who mistrusts technology, loves nature and spends years building a boat in his basement.
When he got the call about getting the part, Stowell was off grid in Vermont.
鈥淚鈥檓 very much an analog person, so I鈥檓 very comfortable in this 1991 world where the reliance is on conversations and relationships as opposed to Siri and Alexa.鈥�
Has Stowell learned to trust his gut, Gibbs' style?
鈥淚 read the pilot and immediately connected with who this guy was. And so my gut has told me that this is where I鈥檝e been meant to be from the start,鈥� he says, on the verge of tears.
鈥淭here is something that has awoken inside of me, almost like it was the character I鈥檝e been waiting to play my whole life.鈥�
Hilary Fox, The Associated Press
