Actor Austin Stowell is the newly minted Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the prequel series NCIS: Origins. Stowell is set to step into the shoes of one of American television’s most beloved Special Agents as a younger version of the character. NCIS: Origins is a prequel/spin-off of the NCIS TV series.
Austin Stowell’s NCIS: Origins is the fifth spin-off in the NCIS franchise. With NCIS’ growing fanbase, this is unarguably Austin Stowell’s biggest project of his career. However, Origins is far from his debut project as an actor. These are Austin Stowell’s top movies and TV shows and probably where you know him from.
The Secret Life of the American Teenager
Television audiences from the late 2000s who watched ABC Family’s teen drama The Secret Life of the American Teenager might recognize Austin Stowell. Actress Shailene Woodley led the series as Amy Juergens. Austin Stowell joined the series in 2009 in a recurring role as Jesse. His character was introduced in season 2 as Lauren Treacy’s (Camille Winbush) new boyfriend.
They break up briefly after Lauren’s parents discover they slept over at Jack Pappas’ (Greg Finley) guest house. Although they get back together, Lauren eventually breaks up with him after she catches a drunk Jesse sleeping with her friend, Madison Cooperstein (Renee Olstead). Austin Stowell portrayed the character in 17 episodes of The Secret Life of the American Teenager, leaving the show in 2011.
Catch-22
Austin Stowell joined the cast of the Golden Globe-nominated miniseries Catch-22. The satirical dark comedy series had been adapted from the famous Joseph Heller’s 1961 satirical war novel. In Catch-22, Austin Stowell portrayed Nately, who was introduced as being enlisted to serve in the Air Corps by his family.
Although his parents had only intended for him to mingle with “the gentlemen,” Nately was sent overseas to war. He was a lieutenant in the 256th squadron of the Army Air Forces. Nately served under Captain John Yossarian (Christopher Abbott) as the tail gunner in his bomber. Stowell’s Nately is killed during the war. Catch-22 was released on Hulu on May 17, 2019.
Dolphin Tale
With the success and popularity of the 2011 Dolphin Tale movie, it is another project audiences may recognize Austin Stowell. 2011 was the year Stowell made his film debut, in which he starred in two feature-length films. Arguably, Dolphin Tale was Stowell’s breakthrough on the big screen. In the family-friendly movie, Stowell played Kyle Connellan, a young man who returns from war with an injury.
Unsure of what to do with his life, Kyle initially grapples with his future. Dolphin Tale centered around the rescue of a bottlenose dolphin named Winter. With its critical and commercial success, Dolphin Tale was followed by a sequel, Dolphin Tale 2, in 2014. Austin Stowell also starred in the sequel, reprising his role as Kyle Connellan.
Bridge of Spies
Austin Stowell also starred in Steven Spielberg’s historical drama Bridge of Spies. In the Cold War drama, Stowell was cast as U.S. Air Force officer and CIA employee Francis Gary Powers. The historical character had his U-2 spy plane shot down by the Soviet forces.
Stowell co-starred alongside heavyweights such as Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance. Although not a major character in the film, Bridge of Spies was centered around the release of Stowell’s character. With six Academy Award nominations, Bridge of Spies was as much a critical success as it was commercially. It grossed $165.5 million against a $40 million budget.
Battle of the Sexes
By the mid-2010s, Austin Stowell had proven he was not just a capable character actor but could hold his own as a leading man. In the 2017 sports comedy-drama Battle of the Sexes, Stowell portrayed American sports promoter Larry King.
The character was the husband of pro-tennis player Billie Jean King (portrayed by Emma Stone). The movie was a sports biopic about the legendary tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs (portrayed by Steve Carell). The movie’s star-studded cast also included Andrea Riseborough, Bill Pullman, Alan Cumming, and Sarah Silverman.
12 Strong
Austin Stowell co-starred in Nicolai Fuglsig’s action-war movie 12 Strong the following year. The movie’s plot is based on the true story of the U.S. Special Forces sent to Afghanistan immediately after the 9/11 attacks. Stowell was cast as Staff Sergeant Fred Falls.
The character was a member of ODA 595. While his performance stayed powerful, Stowell was sporting a full beard in the movie. 12 Strong also had a strong cast, with Chris Hemsworth and Michael Shannon in the lead. The movie also starred Michael Peña and William Fichtner.
The Hating Game
A more recent cast where audiences will recognize Austin Stowell is in the rom-com The Hating Game. Not one to be typecast, Stowell took a break from the action-packed dramas and portraying historical figures to delve into the world of romantic comedies. The Hating Game was adapted from Sally Thorne’s novel of the same name. In the movie, Stowell played Joshua “Josh” Templeman, co-starring alongside Lucy Hale, who played Lucy Hutton.
The Hating Game follows the classic enemies-to-lovers trope. Although reviews were generally positive, Stowell and Hale’s performance and chemistry received special praise. With these Austin Stowell movies and TV shows, Stowell joins the growing cast of the NCIS universe, playing Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS: Origins.
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