NCIS: Origins star Caleb Foote shares the advice that franchise veteran Mak Harmon gave him. Harmon returns to narrate and executive produce the prequel, which debuted in October, and focuses on a younger version of Leroy Jethro Gibbs (played by Austin Stowell) in the early 1990s. Gibbs works alongside an unlikely team, which includes Foote as Special Agent Bernard “Randy” Randolf.
Even though the prequel is focused on Gibbs, zeroing in on the pivotal NCIS character and highlighting a different side to him, NCIS: Origins season 2 is poised to continue highlighting the people who helped him along the way. Randolf, the so-called golden boy, is far from it. Though he’s capable, he’s also still evolving and growing.
In recent comments to Entertainment Tonight, Foote revealed that Harmon encouraged him to be himself. In the quote below, Foote also praises Harmon and his veteran status as a performer and as part of the entertainment industry overall:
He’s, he’s done it all. He’s the godfather of of NCIS. Some really big advice that that Mark Harmon had waswas just like, trust who you are.
What Caleb Foote’s Addition As Randy Has Meant For NCIS: Origins
It Helps To Show The Person That Gibbs Was
Though he may be seen as a bit of a golden boy, who’s brought in to help with Gibbs and mentor him, it’s far from the expected rookie and mentor dynamic. In one episode, for example, Randy stumbles as he attempts to set Gibbs up on a date. He recovers well enough, but that moment of unease signals a break from what is expected between a rookie and a mentor.
Foote, who recurred on American Horror Story and had a main role in Made for Love opposite Cristin Milioti, will likely only seen the relationship between Gibbs and Randy shift further. The ending of NCIS: Origins season 1 puts one of the team in danger, likely shaping Gibbs into the person he’ll become on the main NCIS show.
Our Take On The NCIS: Origins Cast
They’re Making It Work
The cast of NCIS: Origins, which includes regulars Kyle Schmid, Mariel Molino, Tyla Abercrumbie, and Diany Rodriguez, has a tough task. They have to be able to tell the story of a character that’s been well-explored. But they also have to tell their own stories. In the case of Foote and others, it’s brand new.
NCIS: Origins season 2 will premiere later this year.
It’s a tricky balance to strike when most have never been referred to on the main NCIS show. Foote and others, though, do a strong job of making their new characters feel as though they’ve been part of the story all along. It may be that, in the end, Foote does bring a lot of himself to a character that might otherwise seem like just a standard mentor.
