Curious World Staff
NCIS has been on the air for nearly two decades, and many characters have come and gone. The only constant on the set since the beginning has been series star Mark Harmon (Leroy Jethro Gibbs).
But that changed at the start of Season 19, when Harmon announced his departure after more than 400 episodes.
Harmon formed strong bonds with his co-stars during his time as the star of TV’s most-watched drama. Among them is Wilmer Valderrama, who joined the cast as Agent Nick Torres in season 14.
When Valderrama and Harmon worked together on the set of NCIS, they had “quite a bromance.” The That’s 70’s Show alum even referred to Harmon as his “bestie.”
On ‘NCIS,’ Gibbs became Torres’ accidental ‘father figure’
NCIS viewers didn’t learn much about Torres’ complicated past until season 18, when his MIA father Miguel reappeared.
Valderrama told TV Line that his character “had no real direction” while working undercover for years and was “just going from mission to mission.” He claims Gibbs was the one who gave Torres a family and thus became a “accidental father figure.”
“To be honest, Gibbs has been more of a father to Torres in the last couple of years than anyone else,” Valderrama said in March 2021. “When Torres was hit by that car and taken to the hospital, it was an emotionally open Gibbs — like you’d never seen before — who arrived.” It was fascinating to see Gibbs be so concerned about and attached to Torres.”
Wilmer Valderrama referred to Mark Harmon as his “bestie.”
This season 18 storyline involving Gibbs and Torres allowed fans to see how strong their bond had become. However, fans may be surprised to learn that the two characters’ on-screen relationship was not dissimilar to Harmon and Valderrama’s real-life relationship. In fact, Valderrama has referred to Harmon as his “bestie” on numerous occasions.
“I adore the cast and crew.” “You know, I get along so well with them,” Valderrama told Access in 2018. “Mark Harmon and I are best friends. And we’re having a great time together. “That guy and I are inseparable.”
Valderrama went on to praise Harmon for his longevity in Hollywood and the fact that he still looked forward to going to work every day. Valderrama claimed to be able to relate to that.
The ‘NCIS’ star wasn’t kidding about the on-screen and off-screen bromance.
Valderrama said nearly the same thing to Entertainment Tonight a year ago when praising Harmon’s leadership abilities on the NCIS set.
“When you mention Mark Harmon, he is someone who leads with kindness and has a beautiful energy.” He and I have a pretty good bromance going on. But, from the top to the bottom, I believe it is the people. “The fact that people still enjoy coming to work,” said Valderrama.
Wilmer Valderrama enjoys making fun of Mark Harmon.
Valderrama claims that he and his former co-star talked a lot in between scenes before Harmon’s departure. And he never missed an opportunity to make fun of Harmon for being voted People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 1986.
Valderrama told People that he would make fun of Harmon at random. He explained that almost every time the St. Elsewhere alum offered an opinion or direction — regardless of the subject — the response was “you would know because you were People’s Sexiest Man Alive.”
Getting lost in the eyes of the ‘NCIS’ star
Harmon, according to Valderrama, is a handsome man. In fact, his former co-star is so hot and sexy that Valderrama joked that looking into Harmon’s blue eyes was difficult.
“When you look into Mark Harmon’s deep, ocean eyes, you really feel like you don’t have any floaties,” he said. “You went in there without a life jacket, and you sank into a blue abyss.”
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