The prequelNCIS: Originscasts its Abby and Ducky replacements for Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Mike Franks' prequel team. After the divisive cancelation ofNCIS: Hawai’i, CBS is once again expanding its top-rated procedural franchise. This time, however, it is a prequel narrative with theorigin story of Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs.NCIS: Originshas recastyoung Gibbs with Austin Stowell, who will play the character in the ’90s, during his first decade in the agency under Mike Franks' (Kyle Schmid) tutelage. Aside from the pair and Diany Rodriguez’s Vera Strickland, the rest of the squad are new characters.
A new report fromVarietyreveals thatNCIS: Originshas cast its version of Pauley Perrette’s Abby Sciuto and David McCallum’s Ducky Mallard with Bobby Moynihan and Lori Petty, respectively.Moynihan will portray Woodrow “Woody” Browne, “the wildly overworked senior chemist and director of the NIS Forensic Lab, who compensates for his lack of sleep with an offbeat sense of humor.”Meanwhile,Petty will play Dr. Lenora Friedman,“a seasoned pathologist at the San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office."
8 Similarities Between NCIS: Origins Premiere & The Original NCIS Pilot In 2003
Even though the characters are different, the NCIS: Origins premiere took a lot of inspiration from the original NCIS premiere over 20 years ago.
How Friedman & Woody In NCIS: Origins Shapes Gibbs MCRT Original Team
Abby & Ducky Were Part Of Gibbs' Inaugural Team In NCIS
Seeing Gibbs work with people who are reminiscent of Abby and Ducky can be the sentimental reason why he eventually develops a close relationship with Perrette and McCallum’s characters.
Ducky and Abby were part ofNCIS' original team. In fact, their involvement in the Major Case Response Team (MCRT) predated the events of the flagship series, since they werealready members of Gibbs' squad during the show’s flagship backdoor pilot inJAG. Bringing in Moynihan and Petty as Friedman and Browne is a way to fill the void in what’s technically NIS' version of MCRT. However, aside from their roles in the team, it’s also likely that this is CBS' way of bringing new, but still familiar, character types in the upcomingNCISprequel.
Joining young Gibbs, Franks, Strickland, Friedman, and Browne in thecore cast ofNCIS: Originsare all fresh characters to the police procedural franchise, that beingMariel Molino’s Lala, Tyla Abercrumbie’s Mary Jo, and Caleb Martin Foote’s Randy. Gibbs' experience at Camp Pendleton shapes his unique but effective leadership style in the mainNCISshow. As a newly-discharged Marine, his time under Franks will be pivotal in his future. So seeing Gibbs work with people who are reminiscent of Abby and Ducky can be the sentimental reason why he eventually develops a close relationship with Perrette and McCallum’s characters.
What Happened To Gibbs' Original NCIS Team In JAG? (Why Was It Changed)
Before spearheading the inaugural MCRT team in NCIS, Leroy Jethro Gibbs' squad looked different during his JAG debut. Why was it changed?
Aside from producingNCIS: Origins, Mark Harmon will also serve as the narrator for the prequel. His voice-overs can confirm this idea, offering the project an opportunity to establish its connection to the main show despite not being able to do any crossovers. Ultimately, whileNCIS: Originsis really about Gibbs, its ensemble will be integral in its chance to be successful. So, it’s also interesting to see how Franks' team will operate in comparison to his mentee’s MCRT squad.
What The Original Abby & Ducky Actors Are Up To Now
Perrette And McCallum Are No Longer Acting
Pauley Perrette’s final episode ofNCISas Abby aired in 2018. While she did appear in another series in 2020,Broke,she has since retired from the world of acting.That doesn’t mean she’s left the entertainment industry altogether, though. Perrette has also worked as a director and producer since leaving the show. She appeared in the documentary shortRed Ribbons of Lovein 2023 but also produced and directed the short. She’s also one of the producers of the documentaryStudio One Forever.
David McCallum’s Ducky appeared in his last episode ofNCISin 2024 through previously recorded footage. The legendary actor, who had starred inThe Great EscapeandThe Man From UNCLEin the 1960s, passed away in 2024.He had already reduced his work on the series in the years leading up to his death, opening the door for Brian Dietzen’s Jimmy Palmer to take on a larger role in the show.
With theNCISfranchise expanding with multiple spin-offs in the near future likeNCIS: Origins, there will be more chances for new characters to become fan-favorites and for similar character types to be explored in new ways in the franchise.
NCIS: Origins
Cast
Set before the original entry in the long-running procedural crime-drama franchise, NCIS: Origins takes place in the 1990s and follows a younger Leroy Gibbs at the beginning of his career. The series will focus more on Gibbs' journey to becoming the star investigator he became in the original series and his relationships with past partners and colleagues.
