It didn’t take long for NCIS: Origins to cast the role of the younger version of Dwayne Pride. Scott Bakula originated the role for NCIS: New Orleans, the third spinoff of NCIS that ran for seven seasons.
Audiences first met Pride in an episode of NCIS. An investigation into a former agent’s death led to the reopening of an old case he worked on with Gibbs and the victim. The backdoor pilot of NCIS: New Orleans aired in season 11 of NCIS with the two-part episode “Crescent City.” We not only learned that Gibbs and Pride had known each other for 30 years, but they also worked with a team known as the Fed Five.
Now when the younger Pride appears in NCIS: Origins, it will be 1992, and as we learned, the Fed Five disbanded in 1994. We will likely see the beginnings of what happened in the past involving this case since the agents involved will be in the episode as well. So who is now playing the young Pride?
Only Murders in the Building actor Shea Buckner will be portraying the role of the former Sheriff’s Deputy who, in 1992, was working at the NIS Panama field office as a probationary agent. Based on the description of his character, it looks like both he and Gibbs (Austin Stowell) may have had some tension in the past they will have to work through to go undercover for a case. Seeing as how Gibbs and Pride would eventually become close, we’ll likely see how their friendship formed in its beginnings.
The Fed Five consisted of Franks, Gibbs, Pride, Agent Dan McLane, and Agent Felix Betts. The latter two have not been cast as of this writing. They will become involved in a task force formed to aid in the dismantling of a stolen weapons ring.
In the NCIS episode that aired, McLane had eventually become a congressman before he was murdered, and his past behavior was explored due to the circumstances involving the case of the Privileged Killer.
When he’s introduced in Origins, McLane is a man in his 40s who is described as being “smart, authoritative, confident, with an old school masculine energy.” As for Betts, he is also in the same age range as McLane and is described as being “buttoned-up, likable, and exuberant” in addition to being handy in following the trail of bureaucratic paperwork.
While we do not know when the episode will air in Season 2, we’re looking forward to catching a glimpse of the beginnings of Gibbs and Pride’s close bond. You can watch the season 11 episode of NCIS on Paramount+ if you need a refresher on how we met the older version of Pride.
NCIS: Origins airs Tuesdays on CBS at 9/8c.