NCIS' Austin Stowell Says He's Single but 'in a Relationship with a TV Show' as He Takes on Young Gibbs Role (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Austin Stowellis single, but not necessarily ready to mingle.

During a recent interview with PEOPLE in 10, the actor admitted he was unattached but not looking to partner up in the near future. That’s largely because his new show,NCIS: Origins,debuting Monday, Oct. 14 on CBS, is taking up all his time at the moment.

Jokes aside, the actor notes “kindness” in a future partner is a must-have. “I think the way that someone treats someone on the street, you can really learn a lot about them in those moments," he explains.

Mark Harmon, who played Gibbs on the original series, serves as executive producer and narrator.

Austin Stowell in ‘NCIS: Origins.'.Sonja Flemming/CBS

Sonja Flemming/CBS

Playing a younger version of Harmon is a “tremendous honor" for Stowell.

“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 explains. “It’s something that I take a lot of pride in.”

To prep for his audition, the actor actually revisited certainNCISepisodes to learn some of the character’s “Gibbs-isms.”

“There are certain things that Mark does, and they are different to his other characters that he’s portrayed," Stowell says. “And so I wanted to embody as much of that as I could and decide, okay, if this is day one with Gibbs, how many of these behaviors are innate to him, and how many of them get learned over time? And so that was fun.”

Mark Harmon as NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs.Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty

Harmon, who helped cast Stowell,told PEOPLEthat he instantly knew the actor had that star quality.

“I felt the room jump a little when Austin came in, before he said anything,” said Harmon. “He walked out and someone said, ‘I’ll just say it, that’s a movie star.’”

Austin Stowell, Kyle Schmid, Mariel Molin and Caleb Foots in ‘NCIS: Origins.'.Erik Voake/CBS

Erik Voake/CBS

Stowell, for his part, says Harmon has been easy to work with, going above and beyond to make himself available.

“He always starts off his conversations with, ‘Do you need anything?’ That is so disarming,” the actor muses. “The guy is a global superstar. He could make it very uncomfortable for people to be around him. Certainly. I mean, for me, a guy who is stepping into the shoes of the character that he created and has become beloved and for everybody else that’s around here. That goes for the crew. He treats everyone with such respect.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

NCIS: Originspremieres Monday, Oct. 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and will be available to stream afterwards on Paramount+.

source: people.com