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Mark Harmon
Mark Harmon 1 edit1.jpg
Harmon in 2005
Born
Thomas Mark Harmon

(1951-09-02) September 2, 1951 (age 73)
Alma mater University of California, Los Angeles (BA)
Occupation
  • Actor
  • producer
  • director
  • author
Years active 1970–present
Spouse(s)
Pam Dawber
(m. 1987)
Children 2
Parents
Relatives
  • Kelly Harmon (sister)
  • Kristin Nelson (sister)
  • Gunnar Nelson (nephew)
  • Matthew Nelson (nephew)
  • Tracy Nelson (niece)
College football career
UCLA Bruins – No. 7
Position Quarterback
Major Communication
Personal information
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg)
Career history
College
  • Pierce College (1970–1971)
  • UCLA (1972–1973)
High school Harvard-Westlake
Career highlights and awards
  • NJCAA All-American (1971)
  • NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award (1973)
  • Second-team Academic All-America (1973)
  • Pierce College Athletic Hall of Fame (2010)

Mark Harmon (born September 2, 1951) is an American actor, writer, and producer. He is most famous for playing Leroy Jethro Gibbs on the TV show NCIS. He also played American football in college.

Mark Harmon has been in many TV shows and movies since the 1970s. Some of his well-known roles include Dr. Robert Caldwell on St. Elsewhere and Dr. Jack McNeil on Chicago Hope. He also appeared in films like Summer School and Freaky Friday.

In 2002, Harmon played Secret Service agent Simon Donovan in The West Wing. This role earned him an Emmy Award nomination. His character, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, first appeared in two episodes of JAG. From 2003 to 2021, Harmon starred as Gibbs in the spin-off series NCIS.

Early Life and College Football

Mark Harmon was born in Burbank, California. He is the youngest of three children. His father was Tom Harmon, a famous football player and broadcaster. His mother was Elyse Knox, an actress and model.

Mark has two older sisters. His sister Kristin Nelson was an actress and painter. His other sister, Kelly Harmon, is also an actress and model. Mark's grandparents on his mother's side came from Austria.

Playing College Football

After finishing high school in 1970, Harmon went to Pierce College for two years. He played football there. In 1971, he received offers from big college football teams. He chose to go to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

He became the starting quarterback for the UCLA Bruins in 1972 and 1973. In his first game, his team had a big upset win against the top-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers. UCLA was expected to lose by a lot, but they won 20–17.

In his last year, 1973, Harmon won the National Football Foundation Award for All-Round Excellence. During his two years as quarterback, UCLA won 17 games and lost 5. Harmon graduated from UCLA in 1974 with a degree in Communications.

In 2010, he was added to the Pierce College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Acting Career Highlights

After college, Mark Harmon thought about working in advertising or law. But he soon decided to become an actor. Early in his career, he often played characters who were police officers or doctors.

One of his first TV appearances was in a commercial for Kellogg's cereal with his father. He got his first acting job on the show Ozzie's Girls. After that, he had guest roles in shows like Adam-12 and Emergency!.

In 1977, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role in the TV movie Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years. In 1978, he appeared in the mini-series Centennial.

Early TV Roles

In the late 1970s, Harmon appeared in shows like Laverne & Shirley and The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries. He also had roles in movies such as Comes a Horseman (1978). In 1979, he co-starred in the action series 240-Robert.

In 1980, Harmon joined the TV show Flamingo Road. He played Fielding Carlisle. The show was canceled after two seasons.

He then got the role of Dr. Robert Caldwell on St. Elsewhere in 1983. He was on the show for almost three seasons. His character contracted HIV, which was one of the first times a major TV character dealt with this.

Big Roles in the 1980s and 1990s

In 1986, Harmon played serial killer Ted Bundy in the TV movie The Deliberate Stranger. This role earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination. He also starred in the comedy movie Summer School in 1987.

He had a short role on the show Moonlighting in 1987. In 1988, he starred with Sean Connery in The Presidio and with Jodie Foster in Stealing Home.

From 1991 to 1993, Harmon played police detective Dickie Cobb on the NBC series Reasonable Doubts. In 1995, he starred in the ABC series Charlie Grace.

From 1996 to 2000, he returned to medical dramas, playing Dr. Jack McNeil on Chicago Hope. He also played astronaut Wally Schirra in the 1998 mini-series From the Earth to the Moon. In 2003, he had a supporting role in the movie Freaky Friday.

Stage Work

Mark Harmon has also acted in several plays in Los Angeles and Toronto. He performed in plays like Wrestlers and The Wager. He also acted alongside his wife, Pam Dawber, in several productions of Love Letters.

Starring in NCIS

In May 2002, Harmon played Secret Service agent Simon Donovan in four episodes of The West Wing. This role earned him his second Emmy Award nomination. The creator of JAG and NCIS, Donald P. Bellisario, saw him on The West Wing.

Bellisario then cast Harmon in two episodes of JAG in April 2003. This is where he was first introduced as NCIS agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Starting in September 2003, Harmon starred as Gibbs in the CBS drama NCIS.

This role has earned him many awards nominations, including a win for Favorite TV Crime Drama Actor in 2017. While on NCIS, he worked again with three actors from Chicago Hope: Rocky Carroll, Lauren Holly, and Jayne Brook. Since 2008, he has also been a producer for the show.

In the fourth episode of the show's nineteenth season, Harmon's character, Gibbs, left the series as a regular.

Other Activities and Interests

MarkHarmonHWOFOct2012
Mark Harmon receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012.

Mark Harmon received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 1, 2012. This is a special honor for people in the entertainment industry.

In 2014, Harmon started his own production company called Wings Productions. This company produced the show NCIS: New Orleans. He also works as a producer for a new CBS series based on the Prey novels by author John Sandford.

Harmon has also directed TV episodes. He directed two episodes of Chicago Hope in 1999 and 2000. He also directed two episodes of Boston Public in 2002.

In 2023, Harmon released a book called Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese spy, a Japanese American spy hunter, and the untold story of Pearl Harbor. He wrote it with retired NCIS Special Agent Leon Carroll Jr. Harmon also narrates the audio version of the book.

Personal Life

Mark Harmon's parents were football player Tom Harmon and actress Elyse Knox. His sisters are Kelly Harmon and Kristin Nelson. Kristin passed away in 2018.

Mark Harmon married actress Pam Dawber on March 21, 1987. They have two sons. One of their sons, Sean, has played a younger version of Gibbs in several NCIS episodes. The family likes to keep their lives private.

Mark Harmon is also the uncle of actress Tracy Nelson and singers Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, who are in the rock band Nelson.

In 1988, Harmon was a part-owner of a minor league baseball team called the San Bernardino Spirit. He used the team's field for scenes in his movie Stealing Home.

In 1996, Mark Harmon helped save a teenage boy from a car accident outside his home in Brentwood. The boy was badly burned but survived because of Harmon's help.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1978 Comes a Horseman Billy Joe Meynert
1979 Beyond the Poseidon Adventure Larry Simpson
1984 Tuareg – The Desert Warrior Gacel Sayah
1986 Let's Get Harry Harry Burck Jr.
1987 Summer School Freddy Shoop
After the Promise Elmer Jackson
1988 The Presidio Jay Austin
Stealing Home Billy Wyatt
1989 Worth Winning Taylor Worth
1990 Till There Was You Frank Flynn
Kenny Rogers Classic Weekend Himself
1991 Cold Heaven Alex Davenport
1994 Natural Born Killers Mickey (Reenactment) uncredited
1994 Wyatt Earp Sheriff John Behan
1995 Magic in the Water Jack Black
1995 The Last Supper Dominant Male
1997 Casualties Tommy Nance
The First to Go Jeremy Hampton
1998 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Magazine Reporter
1999 I'll Remember April John Cooper
2001 The Amati Girls Lawrence
Crossfire Trail Bruce Barkow
2002 Local Boys Jim Wesley
2003 Freaky Friday Ryan
2004 Chasing Liberty President James Foster
2009 Weather Girl Dale
2010 Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Clark Kent/Superman Voice, direct-to-video
2025 Freakier Friday Ryan Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1973 Ozzie's Girls Mark Johnson Episode: "The Candidate"
1975 Emergency! Officer Dave Gordon Episode: "905-Wild"
Adam-12 Officer Gus Corbin Episode: "Gus Corbin"
1975, 1976 Police Woman Paul Donin
Stansky
Episode: "No Place to Hide"
Episode: "Tender Soldier"
1976 Laverne & Shirley Victor Episode: "Dating Slump"
All's Fair Ron Episode: "Jealousy"
Delvecchio Ronnie Striker Episode: "Hot Spell"
1977 Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years Robert Dunlap Television film
The Hardy Boys Chip Garvey Episode: "Mystery of the Solid Gold Kicker"
1978 Getting Married Howard Lesser Television film
Little Mo Norman Brinker Television film
Sam Officer Mike Breen 7 episodes
1978–1979 Centennial Captain John McIntosh 3 episodes
1979 The Love Boat Doug Bradbury 2 episodes
1979–1980 240-Robert Dwayne Thibodeaux 13 episodes
1980; 1981–1982 Flamingo Road Fielding Carlyle 37 episodes
1980 The Dream Merchants Johnny Edge Miniseries
1981 Goliath Awaits Peter Cabot Television film
1983 The Love Boat Rick Tucker Episode: "Julie and The Bachelor..."
1983–1986 St. Elsewhere Dr. Robert Caldwell 70 episodes
1983 Intimate Agony (aka Doctor in Paradise) Tommy Television film
1986 The Deliberate Stranger Ted Bundy
Prince of Bel Air Robin Prince
1987 Moonlighting Sam Crawford 4 episodes
Saturday Night Live Himself/Host Episode: May 9, 1987
After the Promise Elmer Jackson Television film
1989 Sweet Bird of Youth Chance Wayne
1991–1993 Reasonable Doubts Detective Dicky Cobb 45 episodes
1991 Dillinger John Dillinger Television film
Fourth Story David Shepard
Shadow of a Doubt Uncle Charlie Oakley
Long Road Home Ertie Robertson
1993 Harts of the West Sam Carver Episode: "The Right Stuff"
1994 Chicago Hope Dr. Jack McNeil
1995 Charlie Grace Charlie Grace 9 episodes
Original Sins (aka Acts of Contrition) Johnathan Frayne Television film
1996 Strangers Mark Episode: "Visit"
E! True Hollywood Story Himself Episode: "Dark Obsession"
1996–2000 Chicago Hope Dr. Jack McNeil 95 episodes
1997 Adventures from the Book of Virtues Ulysses Voice, episode: "Perseverance"
1998 From the Earth to the Moon Wally Schirra Episode: "We Have Cleared the Tower"
2000 For All Time Charles Lattimer Television film
2001 The Legend of Tarzan Bob Markham Episode: "Tarzan and the Outbreak"
Crossfire Trail Bruce Barkow Television film
And Never Let Her Go Thomas Capano
2002 The West Wing Agent Simon Donovan 4 episodes
2003 JAG Leroy Jethro Gibbs 2 episodes
2003–2021 NCIS Lead role and executive producer
2004 Retrosexual: The 80's Himself TV miniseries
2011 Certain Prey Lucas Davenport Television film
2012 Family Guy Leroy Jethro Gibbs Voice, episode: "Tom Tucker: The Man and His Dream"
2014–2021 NCIS: New Orleans 4 episodes; also executive producer
2024 NCIS: Origins Pilot episode; narrator; also executive producer

Awards and Nominations

Year Association Category Nominated work Result
1977 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years Nominated
1987 Golden Globe Awards Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film The Deliberate Stranger Nominated
1988 After the Promise Nominated
1992 Best Actor – Television Series Drama Reasonable Doubts Nominated
Viewers for Quality Television Best Actor in a Quality Drama Series Nominated
1993 Golden Globe Awards Best Actor – Television Series Drama Nominated
Viewers for Quality Television Best Actor in a Quality Drama Series Nominated
1997 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Chicago Hope Nominated
1998 Nominated
2002 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series The West Wing Nominated
2011 People's Choice Awards Favorite TV Crime Fighter NCIS Nominated
2013 Prism Awards Male Performance in a Drama Series Won
2014 People's Choice Awards Favorite Dramatic TV Actor Nominated
2016 Favorite Crime Drama TV Actor Nominated
2017 Favorite Crime Drama TV Actor Won

See also

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