Get Your First Look at 3 New 'NCIS: Origins' Cast Regulars (Exclusive)

The premiere of NCIS: Origins is still a month away, but Parade has an exclusive look at several of the key characters playing a major role in the NCIS prequel : Caleb Foote as Benjamin “Randy” Randolf, Mariel Molino as Cecilia ‘Lala’ Dominguez and Tyla Abercrumbie as Mary Jo Hayes.

These three characters are new to the NCIS universe—they did not appear on the mothership—and will be introduced in the two-hour season premiere on Oct. 14 when a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs ( Austin Stowell ) begins his career as a newly minted special agent at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office, where he forges his place on a gritty ragtag team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks ( Kyle Schmid ). The series is set in 1991.

“The show completely stands by itself,” executive producer Sean Harmon told Parade during a set visit. “It was always designed to do that. If anything, I hope people will watch Origins and then may find themselves interested in seeing the original show and maybe discover the greater franchise for themselves.”

Related: Who's in the Season 1 Cast of NCIS: Origins

Caleb Foote on Randy Randolf

“My character will just offer some levity in a world where the themes can get dark,” Foote said during the same set visit. “When I first saw [the script], I was like, ‘This is a wonderful opportunity because the world is so dark, and we do need a little bit of levity.’ [The producers] thought from my tape that I was going to be a little more nerdy. But then they met me in person, and they were ‘OK, so he’s a little more capable of a detective. They liked that duality.”

Mariel Molino on Cecilia ‘Lala’ Dominguez

“Lala has a specific back story where she was a former Marine, so she has a very stern military background,” Molino said. “I think Marines obviously are built very tough. So, for her to make the transition over to NIS seemed good at the time, and she’s used to being around guys all the time. She also got recruited because she is good with languages. Honestly, she is just cut out for it. She’s a Marine; she’s not here to prove anything. I think she’ll find throughout the show that she has to learn to put herself first a little bit more instead of putting everyone else first.”

Related: Mark Harmon on Why Austin Stowell Is the Perfect Young Leroy Jethro Gibbs for NCIS: Origins

Tyla Abercrumbie on Mary Jo Hayes

“I run NIS in my mind. It’s my domain,” Abercrumbie joked. Then on the more serious side, she added, “She is not an agent, she is an administrator. In fact, she puts it right on her desk: HSIC—Head Secretary in Charge. It’s a nice blend. We have an office full of military people, but you always have a civilian in the mix. What will be nice is to figure out what made her choose to be here and what it means to be around this group of military investigators solving some of the most atrocious crimes out there.”

NCIS: Origins will launch on Monday, Oct. 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS with a two-hour series premiere.

Next, Mark Harmon on Leaving Gibbs Behind on NCIS and His Return for Origins