Gary Cole, the man who stepped into the formidable shoes left by Mark Harmon on CBS’s procedural juggernaut “NCIS,” isn’t just playing another federal agent — he’s reinventing the show’s entire dynamic by design.
Since joining the cast in Season 19 as FBI-agent-turned-NCIS-leader Alden Parker, Cole has been tasked with the unenviable job of following Harmon’s beloved Leroy Jethro Gibbs character. But rather than attempting to replicate Gibbs’ stern father-figure approach, Cole’s character brings what he calls “crazy uncle energy” to the NCIS team dynamics — a deliberate creative choice that keeps the long-running series fresh in its 23rd season.
From Steppenwolf to Primetime Staple
Cole, born September 20, 1956, began his professional acting journey at Chicago’s prestigious Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1985 before landing his breakout television role as Jack ‘Nighthawk’ Killian in NBC’s “Midnight Caller” (1988-1991), according to his career biography. Decades later, he would step into the role of Supervisory Special Agent Alden Parker, a character who previously served with the FBI before taking command of the NCIS team based at the Navy Yard in Washington, DC, as detailed in the show’s lore.
“In the original NCIS, all the kids were eager to please the father, meaning Gibbs, right? They were like wondering what his reaction was going to be and would they be, you know, under the gun if they made a mistake or made a wrong move,” Cole explained about the show’s established dynamic. “There was a little bit of, you know, apprehension around him. And so now he flipped it and said, what if the father were to leave? And the crazy uncle shows up?”
Television’s Changing Landscape
Having witnessed the evolution of television firsthand throughout his decades-long career, Cole offers perspective on just how dramatically the medium has transformed. “I’m old enough to say that I was on television when, here in the States, there were three channels. That was it. Those were your choices,” he recalled. “And once they were on and then rerun once, maybe twice if you were lucky, they really were gone.”
That reality stands in stark contrast to today’s fragmented streaming landscape, where shows can find niche audiences across dozens of platforms. Yet “NCIS” remains one of broadcast television’s rare consistent performers, continuing to draw substantial viewership in an era when such achievements have become increasingly uncommon.
Reality vs. Television
Does the show accurately portray the real NCIS? Not quite when it comes to demographics, Cole discovered during research visits with actual agents.
“We’ve got a great tech guy with us named Mike Smith who has set up numerous field trips and interactions,” Cole shared. “Katrina (Law, co-star) and I visited an aircraft carrier about a year and a half ago and spent the day on what they call family day.”
The reality check came when Cole toured a genuine NCIS office in California. “I looked at them and their average age, the guy that was leading them was probably 20 years younger than me. And every agent was barely 30 years old — if. So I was like, you know, based on this, if this is the reality, I should have retired 15 years ago.”
Ever wonder about those distinctive freeze-frame transitions that have become an “NCIS” signature? The cast calls them “poof moments,” and their origin story might surprise fans.
“This might be mythological lore, I’m told that there is a sound that goes with that, right? That is, when it’s frozen?” Cole revealed. “I’m told, I don’t know that I believe this, but that that is actually the voice of Don Bellisario, the original creator, into a microphone with reverb on it, where he just went, ‘poof.'”
Veterans Day Special Event
Currently airing its 23rd season, “NCIS” is preparing for a special Veterans Day crossover event with the spinoff series “NCIS: Origins” — the first such Veterans Day special in the franchise’s history, according to promotional materials.
Twenty-three seasons in, with a new team leader and evolving dynamics, “NCIS” continues to reinvent itself while honoring its procedural roots. As for Cole, he seems to have found the sweet spot between respecting what came before and carving out his own distinctive place in one of television’s most enduring franchises — crazy uncle energy and all.
