Adam Campbellback to the NCIS the universe as young Donald “Ducky” Mallard NCIS: Origins will pay homage to the OG character and leave a few Easter eggs for fans of his and Gibbs’ friendship.
“This episode is about the rekindling of old friendships between Gibbs and Ducky,” Campbell, 45, said exclusively. Us Weekly on Thursday, October 23 of his next appearance as a guest on the CBS program.
Fans were initially introduced to Ducky (played by the late David McCallum) as a medical examiner NCIS in 2003, where he worked alongside Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon).
In 2024, CBS took fans back to 1991 with NCIS: Originswhich young Gibbs documents (Austin Stowell) starts out as an agent, but most of his former co-workers have not appeared in the prequel, including a young Ducky.
As NCIS said goodbye to Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard and paid tribute to late actor David McCallum, fans quickly noticed that Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs was nowhere to be found. “When we bring him back, we’re not going to bring him back for two minutes,” said coshowrunner Steven D. Binder (…)
Campbell, for his part, pointed out that the episode of Tuesday, October 28 NCIS: Origins highlights his character Ducky’s relationship with Gibbs (Stowell) “pretty deep” from 12 years after they first met.
“It has a slightly different tone than the rest of the series,” Campbell, who previously portrayed the younger version of medical examiner Ducky in NCIShe scoffed. “This episode, in particular, has a lightness to it. I think it’s also a pretty deep episode in terms of what we learn about Franks, Gibbs, and Lala.”
The actor noted that Ducky is “just present” with Special Agent Mike Franks (Kyle Schmidt) and Lala Domínguez (Mariel Molino) while conducting an autopsy “brings out” something in the characters “that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to see.”
Austin Stowell.
Erik Voake/CBSDuring the episode “The Edge”, Ducky, who is stationed in Washington, DC headquarters, is tasked with assessing how the Camp Pendleton office in California is doing and whether they need a medical examiner of their own.
“He’s more of an uncle (to the San Diego team), but they feel so comfortable with him that I think this episode offers new revelations that fans of the show will find quite intriguing,” Campbell said.
Mark Harmon didn’t take long to share his thoughts on Austin Stowell’s performance as Leroy Gibbs on CBS’ NCIS: Origins. “He gave it to me right away in the room,” Stowell, 39, said during an exclusive interview with Us Weekly. “He said, maybe not what to do, but certainly (…)
For fans of the flagship series, there will be too he nods at the older Duck (McCallum) and the elder Gibbs (Harmon), including the origin story of why Ducky famously talks to the corpses on his autopsy table. (McCallum played the original Ducky NCIS for 20 seasons before his death in September 2023 at the age of 90).
“He leaves California a slightly changed man because of his new understanding of his work,” Campbell said. we.
A glimpse of Gibbs’ importance in Ducky’s youth is also explored, but not fully revealed.
Adam Campbell and Austin Stowell as Ducky and Gibbs in ‘NCIS: Origins’.
Greg Gayne/CBS“That (initial) meeting is pretty significant in his life, because it’s in that meeting where Gibbs challenges him and suggests that he could be a good coroner,” Campbell explained. “I don’t think Gibbs puts the same weight on that interaction. And so in this episode, there’s maybe, in Ducky, a slight disappointment, that Gibbs doesn’t like the meeting as much as Ducky does.”
Campbell teased that when Ducky closes his case on Pendleton, his parting gift to Gibbs will serve as another treat for NCIS fans
“It’s their kind of private inside joke, really, that they have,” Campbell said of the final scene shared between Ducky and Gibbs. “So there’s kind of a little moment that the writers are harkening back to.”
Although Campbell is not slated for another NCIS: Origins appearance, teased that you can never have too much Ducky.
“Every show should have more Ducky,” he joked. “Even game of thrones or euphoria. It is essential.”
NCIS: Origins airs on CBS Tuesdays at 9pm ET.