‘NCIS’ Gary Cole Talks About Replacing Mark Harmon

The NCIS team / IG

When Mark Harmon left NCIS, it seemed to be a role no one could replace. However, the show brought in Gary Cole to be the new team leader and he seemed to slip into the role perfectly. However, Cole said things were not going to be easy for Alden Parker with his new team.

Here is what Cole had to say about replacing Mark Harmon.

Gary Cole On Replacing Mark Harmon On NCIS

Gary Cole was a good choice to replace Mark Harmon on NCIS. While the long-running, popular procedural has seen characters come and go, Mark Harmon’s Jethro Leroy Gibbs seemed irreplaceable. However, the show made good on replacing him when they signed Gary Cole to take on the role of Alden Parker.

NCIS Pictured (L-R): Gary Cole as Alden Parker, Katrina Law as Jessica Knight, and Wilmer Valderrama as Nicholas “Nick” Torres. Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ©2024 Paramount Global. All Rights Reserved.

This change in leadership for the NCIS team came in 2021 when Harmon left the show and stepped aside for a new person to take over the team leader role. Cole, who has previous experience in TV and movies, was ready to move into the new role, but he said he knew there would be struggles. This was both on screen in the fictional world and with fans who loved Harmon and would miss Gibbs.

Cole said that when he came onto the show, he knew the stakes would be high for the team. He said that Alden wasn’t sure this was where he really wanted to be. Calling his character a “loner,” he said the entire NCIS team is a “stress train.” He knew he had to trust other people and watch his back (via TV Insider).

This finally changed for Laden in the Season 198 episode “All Hands.” This was where he called them his “team” for the first time. “The team had reason to not necessarily have a lot of confidence or trust in him because Gibbs had been there so long that they were used to one thing, and Parker was not that,” Cole said. “In this episode, he’s proving himself to the team.”

How Alden Sees His NCIS Team Now

Gary Cole said that things are changing and Alden is now starting to trust his team and become a good leader. He said that he sees each member in a specific manner and things are going much better now than when Gibbs left.

Pictured (L-R): Katrina Law as NCIS Special Agent Jessica Knight and Gary Cole as FBI Special Agent Alden Parker. Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ©2023 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Cole said Parker looks at McGee as someone he can trust concerning the “big picture.” He said Torres would do anything to help solve a case and do the dirty work. Knight is also someone who will get dirty when needed to solve crimes. With Torres, Parker thinks he is reckless and would rather he wasn’t. He feels there is a way that Torres will go off a cliff if he isn’t careful.

What are your thoughts on Gary Cole’s Alden replacing Gibbs on NCIS? Do you think he is doing a good job in the role? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Shawn Lealos
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One Comment

  1. When I first started watching NCIS back when it was first aired on Sydney Television, my friend & I just loved to watch it & looked forward to the weekly episodes.

    There was a period when the character, Bishop, came into the show that I couldn’t watch it because she mumbled.

    It was frustrating to watch so I stopped watching it.

    For years I had said I was going to wait until the series ended & I would buy the whole show – every series, every episode.

    Well, it is still going & I started watching it from the beginning – S1 E1 on Paramount +.
    The show is still played on channel 12 (10) on television but they are not in any order.
    I was able to watch a few episodes on television withe Gary Cole in it & could not believe how well he was fitting into the role – without taking anything from Mark Harmon – the guy we all loved & still love to watch as we (die hard fans) do so over & over.

    As TV shows go, the only way I can compare how much I love it & the characters in it is to say I love it as much as I love my favourite movie – Gone with the Wind. I saw gone with the wind 8 times at the cinema & was delighted when it had been brought back to life through the magic of restoration.
    It’s the loveable characters being very human. It’s the storylines – not necessarily spot on in accuracy but stories that are good to watch & hear – portrayed by these very talented actors/actresses (have to say that now don’t I)

    The only other movie that ever captured me that way was Bohemian Rhapsody. I watched that movie 10 1/2 times at the cinema. the 1/2 was because they had to cut short the screening because it had stopped halfway through.

    By the time I watch NCIS 10 times completely, I no doubt will be ancient as I am already 80.

    Maybe Gary Cole will be 80 by the time I finish watching it 10 times. Then I’ll be 92!!!!
    I hope Paramount + is still showing the series!!!!
    Kind regards
    Jean
    PS I did get hearing aids & can watch episodes with Bishop in that I hear & have subtitles also.

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