New episodes of NCIS: Origins air Mondays at 10 pm ET on CBS, and can be streamed afterwards with a Paramount+ subscription. Austin Stowell’s co-stars include Kyle Schmid, Mariel Molino, Diany Rodriguez and Tyla Abercrumbie, and Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North created the series.

Mark Harmon, who created the role of Gibbs on NCIS, is an executive producer on the prequel—as well as a narrator—and was part of the casting process that resulted in Stowell landing the role. But when it comes to offering advice on playing the character, he’s pretty much hands off.

Even the "NCIS" origin story for Austin Stowell has a Cracker Jack opening. The impossibly rugged actor, 39, had tried to clear his mind after his February audition for "NCIS: Origins," the prequel series to the CBS police procedural (premiering Monday,