<p id=”par-1_34″><em><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/ncis/”>NCIS</a> </em>actor Mark Harmon would help cast his successor in the <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/ncis-origins-will-be-edgier-and-grittier-than-other-ncis-shows.html/”>upcoming prequel show <em>Origins</em></a>. After Stowell screen-tested for the role of Leroy Gibbs, Harmon told the actor what his next steps should be.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-mark-harmon-s-words-of-wisdom-for-austin-stowell-after-ncis-origins-audition”>Mark Harmon’s words of wisdom for Austin Stowell after ‘NCIS: Origins’ audition</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Austin-Stowell-Mark-Harmon.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Austin Stowell at the CBS series NCIS: Origins at the TCA SUMMER PRESS TOUR.” class=”wp-image-3715451″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Austin Stowell | Francis Specker/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-2_59″>Stowell might not have known it at the time, but <em>Origins </em>showrunners David North and Gina Monreal felt he was their new Gibbs as soon as he walked into the room. Stowell must’ve competed against many actors all vying to lead a new but familiar <em>NCIS </em>team. But it seemed no one captured their attention quite like Stowell did.</p>
<p id=”par-3_50″>“We just knew when Austin came in that he was Gibbs,” Monreal told <a href=”https://ew.com/ncis-origins-austin-stowell-showrunners-preview-gibbs-prequel-8710303″>Entertainment Weekly</a>. “He embodied it. His talent is limitless — his dedication to the role, studying Mark, studying the show —he has a similar leadership quality that Mark had on set that bleeds into Gibbs the character.”</p>
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<p id=”par-4_38″>But soon, Stowell had to impress more than just Monreal and North. In his final audition, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/mark-harmons-son-inspired-ncis-origins.html/”>Harmon and his son Sean</a> would be in attendance to judge Stowell’s ability. Harmon even offered some advice to the <em>NCIS </em>newcomer.</p>
<p id=”par-5_51″>“At the end of the audition, after some direction from Mark, he said, ‘There you go. If I were you, I would just walk out of the room right now,’” Stowell recalled. “So I just walked out of the room. I went back to Vermont and went back about my life.”</p>
<p id=”par-6_21″>From there, all Stowell could do was wait for a call back, which he almost missed due to his modest lifestyle.</p>
<p id=”par-7_63″>“Where I live is off the grid a bit,” Stowell said. “I walked back into the house, just got back on to service again, and there was a phone call coming through. So, truly, two minutes before then, I wouldn’t have gotten the call. And it was David and Gina and they were telling me that, essentially, my life was about to change.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-austin-stowell-already-seems-to-share-mark-harmon-s-relentless-work-ethic”>Austin Stowell already seems to share Mark Harmon’s relentless work ethic</h2>
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<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
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Mark Harmon Wasn’t Sure About Bringing a Newcomer Like Cote de Pablo Onto ‘NCIS’ </a>
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<p id=”par-8_50″>It was noted that Stowell immediately started preparing for <em>NCIS </em>after acquiring the role. He retooled his diet and fitness regimen to match that of a marine’s, and rewatched several <em>NCIS </em>episodes for reference. It seemed Stowell left no stone unturned when it came to honoring both Harmon and Gibbs.</p>
<p id=”par-9_109″><a></a> “When I first met David and Gina, they asked if I was going to be ready for such a big commitment like this and I told them, ‘You always have all of me,’” Stowell said. “I just want to give everything to this. I know what it means to the fans. I know what Gibbs represents to a whole lot of people out there. I know what the show represents to a whole lot of people out there, and I don’t want to let them down. I’m giving everything I can to give them something new and fresh, but also something tried and true at the same time.”</p>
<p id=”par-10_49″>His work ethic is something else he shares in common with both Gibbs and Harmon. Despite <em>NCIS</em>’s enormous success, Harmon asserted that <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/ncis-does-mark-harmon-think-hes-the-big-dog-on-set.html/”>he and his crew</a> never phoned in a performance. He continued working as hard on the show as he did with anything else he was passionate about.</p>
<p id=”par-11_36″> “This choice, this career, requires you to be all in. Your job is to be prepared for the opportunity — it will come, you just won’t know when,” Harmon told <a href=”https://people.com/tv/mark-harmon-reveals-secret-long-lasting-success/”>People</a> not too long ago.</p>
<p id=”par-12_39″><a></a> “So until then, all you can do is invest in yourself,” he added. “I’ve always worked hard, I’ve always tried to pay attention to the little things — but here’s the real secret: <em>there are no little things</em>.”</p>
<p id=”par-13_29″>Harmon’s late father gave the veteran star a motto that he lives by. And it was perhaps a philosophy he passed down to his own successor, Stowell, through example.</p>
<p id=”par-14_12″>“Work your ass off, and don’t let the effort show,” Harmon said.</p>