Has Mark Harmon’s Entire Family Worked on ‘NCIS’?
Mark Harmon’s family is as familiar with the entertainment industry as Harmon himself is. But how many members of the Harmon family contributed to his most popular show?
How many of the Harmons can you find on ‘NCIS’?
NCIS has become a bit of a family affair over the years. Harmon’s eldest son, Sean Harmon, was the first of his family to appear in the long-running series. Sean has portrayed a younger version of Harmon’s Jethro Gibbs on several occasions. He first appeared in the season 6 episode “Heartland” through flashbacks. Afterwards, portraying a young Jethro Gibbs became a tradition for Sean. He’d later appear in a couple more NCIS episodes like “Mother’s Day” and “Deliverance” to name a few.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight (via Express), Harmon reflected on his son’s involvement in NCIS, and how it came to be.
“I always think back to the first time they talked about doing a young Gibbs thing here, and Sean was just out of school at that point. A director named Tony Wharmby said, ‘Can he come in and read?’ And on his own he did and I’m proud of him taking his work seriously and how he approaches being an actor,” Harmon said. “Not just on this show, [but] just what he has chosen to try to do in his life’s work. I’m proud of both our boys, and they work hard at what they do and I’m proud that they get up in the morning and try to do that every day.”
Harmon’s wife, Pam Dawber, also famously appeared in a couple of NCIS episodes herself.
But Harmon has a younger son, Ty, who also hasn’t appeared on NCIS. Ty seems mostly invested in screenwriting, having already written the feature Catholic Schoolgirl Chainsaw Shutdown.
Why Sean Harmon won’t be playing a younger Gibbs in the upcoming ‘NCIS’ prequel
Fans will be seeing a lot more of a younger Gibbs pretty soon. Not too long ago it was revealed that a planned prequel series will soon hit television that follows Gibbs in his younger years. Titled NCIS Origins, the series would feature a new face as a less seasoned Gibbs. Harmon and Sean both will serve as producers on the program, and Harmon himself will be narrating the episodes.
“The character of Gibbs has been an important part of my life for 20 years, both in watching my father craft the role and previously having the honor to play young Gibbs myself,” Sean said according to Entertainment Weekly. “I always felt there was a tale worth telling about his earlier years, so I am thrilled to be stepping into a producing role alongside Gina, David, and my dad as we tell this story and reveal a new side of this beloved character.”
Producers David North and Lucita Monreal both assured that this new series will be as full of surprises as the original NCIS.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing this new chapter to life along with Mark and Sean Harmon. This really is the making of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. And even the most dedicated NCIS fans will discover that they don’t know the whole story,” North and Monreal said.
Sean Harmon once appeared on ‘NCIS’ as a different character
Sean may have been mostly known for his portrayal of a younger Jethro Gibbs. But that wasn’t the only role in NCIS that he played. In 2015, he appeared in the NCIS spin-off LA as a completely different character. Sean belonged to a category of recurring actors on the show who ended up as multiple characters.
