Curious World Staff
“NCIS,” the CBS police procedural drama, is in the midst of its 19th season. The popular series, which first aired in 2003, is approaching two decades on the air, which is an impressive feat for almost any television show. “NCIS,” created by Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill, follows the Naval Cr1m1nal Investigative Service’s Major Case Response Team special agents in Washington, D.C.
For the majority of the show’s run, the fictional team was led by Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon — widely regarded as the show’s face. However, The Hollywood Reporter reported in October 2021 that Harmon would no longer be working on the show as a series regular, with Season 19, Episode 4 serving as a temporary conclusion to Gibbs’ story. “As an executive producer and dear friend, Mark continues to be an integral part of the show’s fabric,” showrunner and executive producer Steven D. Binder said in a statement. “As long-time fans of the show may have noticed over the years, never count Leroy Jethro Gibbs out in terms of his future.”
Still, Harmon has left the series for the time being, leaving fans to ponder his legacy. Fortunately for us, TV Insider gathered comments made about Harmon by his “NCIS” co-stars, in which they reveal what it was like to work on the show with him.
Harmon was a favorite of the NCIS actors.
In the absence of Mark Harmon’s departure from “NCIS,” TV Insider sought out what Harmon’s co-stars had to say about working with him over the years — and, predictably, they all had positive things to say. To begin, David McCallum, who plays Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard, credited Harmon with creating a productive workplace. In 2007, McCallum stated “There was always some level of chaos [during the series’ production], but it’s all gone now. Mark was instrumental in getting our house in order, for which I am grateful.”
Around the same time, co-star Michael Weatherly, who played Senior Field Agent Anthony DiNozzo until Season 13, praised Harmon’s on-set demeanor, saying, “[Harmon] is a very rare person in this business because he doesn’t have an assistant or an entourage. Mark is primarily a straightforward, approachable, calm, and assertive individual. He’s not one to pander to others.” In 2019, Cote de Pablo, who joined the show in Season 3 as Special Agent Ziva David, said of Harmon, “We were always trying to infuse [scenes] with new elements and try new things. Mark has been here for years and continues to bring it.”
Even those closest to Harmon acknowledge his impressive professionalism. Pam Dawber, who played Marcie Warren in later seasons and is Harmon’s real-life wife, praised Harmon in 2021, saying, “Mark wants the best for everyone and everything. His ego is constrained. He just wants everything to work.”
We’ll all miss Harmon’s on-screen presence on “NCIS,” just as his co-stars will miss him off-screen.
Mark Harmon has aided many cast members’ careers.
Because Leroy Jethro Gibbs was the head of NCIS’ Major Case Response Team, Mark Harmon was regarded as the show’s leader. Mark Harmon’s role as the series’ lead actor came with different responsibilities than the other roles in the cast.
Mark Harmon was “number one,” according to Sean Murray, who plays Tim McGee. “We wouldn’t be here 16 years later if Harmon hadn’t been there,” he said. “Harmon is a one-of-a-kind individual.”
Murray first met Harmon when he was 15 years old on the set of “Harts of the West,” when Mark Harmon was called in to play a drunken rodeo clown in place of Jeff Bridges. Even back then, Murray was impressed by Harmon’s professionalism and work ethic.
Mark Harmon, who plays Ziva Davis, is one of Cote de Pablo’s mentors. “[Mark Harmon] is more of a mentor friend. To me, he was always like a father figure “During an interview with BUILD, she stated (via YouTube). “Obviously, Ziva and Gibbs have it, but so do Cote and Mark.”
When he got his own series-lead role on the CBS drama Bull, Michael Weatherly, who played Anthony DiNozzo, relied on Harmon’s advice.
Weatherly told USA Today, “It’s been very illuminating and given me a great deal of insight and regard for what Mark Harmon was doing all those years [on “NCIS”].” “I was thinking to myself, ‘How come he doesn’t have as much fun as the rest of us..?'”
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