Mark Harmon has passed the baton to Austin Stowell. Known and loved for portraying NCIS legend, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the actor played a hand in casting Austin as a younger version of his beloved character.
Noting that he “felt the room jump a little” even “before he said anything," the 39-year-old captured Gibbs’ spirit from the get-go. After collaborating on NCIS: Origins, Mark and Austin have become close behind the scenes, with Austin studying Mark’s portrayal of the special agent while putting his own spin on the character.
Here, we explore their sweet friendship. Keep reading to find out what Austin and Mark have said about one another…
Austin is 'honored' to work with Mark
For Austin, playing a younger version of Mark's TV counterpart has been a "tremendous honor" and he made sure to study the 73-year-old's portrayal of Gibbs.
"I knew that I had something that I could bring to the role and I knew I had something inside me that felt very Gibbs-esque, and so to be tapped to play the guy is absolutely a confidence booster," he told People. "It's something that I take a lot of pride in."
Reflecting on his preparation for the role, Austin noted: "There are certain things that Mark does, and they are different to his other characters that he's portrayed, and so I wanted to embody as much of that as I could."
Mark has raved about Austin to his famous friends
Austin was pleasantly surprised after Jamie Lee Curtis – who acted alongside Mark in Freaky Friday and its sequel – revealed that he'd been chatting about him.
"She [Jamie Lee Curtis] goes, 'I know who you are. Mark talks about you all the time,'" Austin recalled to Variety. During the exchange, Austin told Jamie how much he loved her performance in The Bear, noting that one of the episodes in season two had "brought true healing" to him and his brother.
Austin has called Mark a "wonderful man"
Speaking to TV Insider, Austin sang Mark's praises, raving: "He's a wonderful man, and he cares about family, he cares about the job, he cares about the fans, and his love and dedication to the role has shown me what it's going to take. I'm here for it, happy to do it."
Austin has appreciated Mark's support
During a joint interview with CBS, Austin commended Mark on his ongoing support as he got into character.
"From day one Mark has been available. He's so good at allowing the people who are on the show to feel like they are supported."
"I'm there to help," Mark chimed in.
We can't get enough of this new pairing!
