NCIS: Origins Cast & Character Guide

The cast of NCIS: Origins is in an exciting position to make NCIS history. The stars of the Leroy Jethro Gibbs prequel series will be the first actors cast in an NCIS spinoff positioned in the past. Mark Harmon played Jethro Gibbs in the original series, but Austin Stowell will take over the character in NCIS: Origins‘ 1991 setting. Instead, Harmon will return to narrate the prequel story and is also part of the production as an executive producer with his son, Sean Harmon. Aside from Gibbs, NCIS: Origins story will bring back other familiar characters with new faces.

NCIS: Origins is the fifth spinoff in the NCIS franchise, but it is, in many ways, the first of its kind. It’s the first offshoot to expand on the story of an original NCIS character. The series will delve into the relationship between Gibbs and Special Agent Mike Franks, played by Muse Watson in the original show. The characters have a significant history to share, but NCIS: Origins will also introduce new elements and characters to the franchise. The show will mix seasoned storylines with new beginnings.

Austin Stowell As Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs

Date Of Birth: December 24, 1984

• Active Since: 2009

Actor: Born and raised in Connecticut, Austin Stowell received widespread attention for his role as Kyle Connellan in Dolphin Story with Morgan Freeman in 2011. A few years later, in 2013, Stowell featured in Whiplash as Ryan Connolly with J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller and then joined Tom Hanks in the cast of Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies in 2015 as Francis Gary Powers. Stowell recently had a starring role opposite Lucy Hale in The Hating Game in 2021, leading up to NCIS: Origins.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: Austin Stowell will play young Leroy Jethro Gibbs as he transitions out of the Marine Corps and starts as an NIS agent at Camp Pendleton in 1991.

Mariel Molino As Special Agent Lala Dominguez

Date Of Birth: December 18, 1992

• Active Since: 2015

Actor: Raised in San Diego, California, Mariel Molino’s first role was as a cheerio on FOX’s hit television series, Glee, in 2015. Since then, Molino has been in television series over the last decade, with a couple of short films, including her role in the 2021 short Lux Noctis. Leading up to NCIS: Origins, Molino played Carmen Sandoval in ABC’s epic drama The Promised Land in 2022 and starred as Elena Santos in Freeform’s The Watchful Eye television series in 2023.

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Character: Mariel Molino will play Special Agent Lala Dominguez, described as a former member of the Marine Corps looking to prove herself in a male-dominated field.

Kyle Schmid As Special Agent Mike Franks

Date Of Birth: August 3, 1984

• Active Since: 1996

Actor: Born in Ontario, Canada, Kyle Schmid is known for his roles in several BBC television series, including Robert Morehouse in Copper from 2012 to 2013 and Henry Durham in Being Human from 2012 to 2014. Schmid starred in History Channel’s military drama Six from 2017 to 2018 and had a recurring role in ABC’s Big Sky in 2021. He has also appeared in several films, including The Covenant, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and David Cronenberg’s History of Violence.

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Character: Kyle Schmid will play Mike Franks, who was established as Leroy Jethro Gibbs’s mentor and former partner in the original NCIS series.

Diany Rodriguez As Special Agent Vera Strickland

Date Of Birth: 1988

• Active Since: 2005

Actor: Born in Puerta Rico and raised in Alabama, Diany Rodriguez rose to fame for her roles in television series like The Blacklist, The Outsider, and Twisted Metal. That said, Rodriguez has roles in noteworthy films, such as Pitch Perfect 3 in 2017 and The Suicide Squad in 2021 with Margot Robbie. Rodriguez has had consistent television appearances leading up to NCIS: Origins, including a minor role as DHS Agent Garcia in NCIS: New Orleans in season 4 in 2017.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: Diany Rodriguez will play Special Agent Vera Strickland, a no-nonsense character established in the original series by Roma Maffia as Mike Franks’ last partner before he retired in 1996.

Roma Maffia plays Vera Strickland in NCIS season 11, episode 3, “Under the Radar.”

Tyla Abercrumbie As Officer Mary Jo Sullivan

Date Of Birth: Unknown

• Active Since: 1998

Actor: Tyla Abercrumbie is best known for her role in The Chi, in which she has played the Nina Williams character in all six seasons. She is also known for her roles in popular TV series, such as the Tamara Folsom character in Proven Innocent in 2019 and Patty in Utopia in 2020. One of Abercrumbie’s most prominent TV roles outside The Chi leading up to NCIS: Origins was as Julia in six episodes of NBC’s The Shrink.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: Tyla Abercrumbie will play Field Operation Support Officer Mary Jo Sullivan, the self-dubbed “Head Secretary in Charge.”

The Naval Investigative Service (NIS) was reorganized in 1992 to form the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).

NCIS: Origins Supporting Cast & Characters

Mark Harmon as Narrator: Mark Harmon is playing Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the original NCIS series, and the actor will return as Gibbs to narrate the NCIS: Origins series.

Patrick Fischler as Cliff Walker: Patrick Fischler, known for his roles in Lost and Mad Men, will portray the head of NIS’ Pendleton office, Special Agent in Charge Cliff Walker.

Patrick Fischler plays Glenn Smith in NCIS: Hawai’i season 1, episode 14, “Broken.”

Robert Taylor as Jackson Gibbs: Known for Longmire and The Matrix, Robert Taylor will portray Jethro Gibbs’ father, Jackson Gibbs, a character established by Ralph Waite in the original NCIS series.

Daniel Bellomy as Special Agent Granville “Granny” Dawson: Daniel Bellomy, known for guest roles in FBI: International and Blue Bloods, will play Special Agent Granny Dawson, a probationary agent and the Evidence Custodian’s assistant.

Caleb Martin Foote as Special Agent Benjamin “Randy” Randolf: Known for The Kids Are Alright and American Horror Story, Caleb Martin Foote will play the team’s lovable golden boy tasked with showing Gibbs the NIS ropes.

Julian Black Antelope as Chief Medical Examiner Kai Blackrock: Known for Tribal and The Secret History of: The Wild West, Julian Black Antelope will portray Kai Blackrock, an experienced medical examiner with ties to NIS.

Bobby Moynihan as Woodrow “Woody” Browne: Bobby Moynihan, best known for many years as a regular on the Saturday Night Live cast, will play Woody Browne, the director of the NIS forensics lab.

Lori Petty as Dr. Lenora Friedman: Lori Petty of A League of Their Own and Free Willy will portray Dr. Lenora Friedman, a seasoned pathologist at the San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office.