Mark Harmon opened up about his wife and two sons – and how they both joined stints on the CBS drama NCIS – before leaving his role as the beloved agent Gibbs.
Mark Harmon decided to leave NCIS after nearly 20 years as fan favorite Jethro Gibbs in season 19. Despite his habit of keeping his personal life private, the actor beams with pride as he discusses his son’s cameo in the long-running CBS drama.
Gibbs was introduced to viewers in the pilot episode of NCIS, which aired in 2003.
Since then, the character has remained an integral part of the procedural drama, appearing in every episode until his departure in 2021.
While the actor’s departure was heartbreaking for fans, viewers got a glimpse into his personal life when both his son, Sean Harmon, and wife Pam Dawber appeared on the show.
During an interview, the actor expressed his delight at his son’s appearance on NCIS to star in flashback episodes.
Mark also mentioned Pam’s pride, saying, “More than anything, she’s a mom, and there’s a pride there involved in that.”
“Aside from anything else as an actor, you hopefully take pride in who people are individually away from any camera just as people, as citizens,” Sean said.
“And both of our boys have done well, and hopefully made wise choices, and are doing well on a daily basis.”
“We have many reasons to be proud of both of them on a daily basis.”
“This is a part of it,” Mark told Entertainment Weekly.
After meeting in the early 1980s, Mark and actress Pam married in 1987 in an intimate ceremony, making their marriage 36 years.
The couple then welcomed their sons, Sean and Ty Harmon, who have both gone on to successful careers in Hollywood.
While Sean appears on screen, Ty prefers to work as a screenwriter behind the scenes.
Since 2008, Sean has appeared in several episodes of NCIS as the younger version of his father during flashback episodes.
Sean has appeared in seven episodes to date, the most recent being the 2020 episode, Everything Starts Somewhere.
This was especially poignant for viewers because it reflected on how Gibbs and Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard (David McCallum) got involved in their first case together.
Pam also appeared in seven episodes of NCIS as investigative journalist Marcie Warren in 2021.
Other NCIS actors’ real-life children have appeared on the show over the years, including McGee star Sean Murray’s child Cat Ryan Murray.
Following their season 19 cameo as a teen suspect, the actor praised his child, saying, “She was a total pro.” “I wish I could be as cool as she is because she handled it so well.”
An emotional Sean told Entertainment Weekly, “I’m so proud.” It’s difficult… I’m going to cry.
“I will always have a film or digital video of my daughter and I doing what we love on screen together.”
“So that’s something that will always be there, and for that I’ll be eternally grateful.”
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