‘NCIS’: Is Mark Harmon Coming Back for Season 17 or Is He Retiring?
NCIS is one of CBS’ most popular shows. It is the number one scripted drama on TV and one of the most successful series on syndication. Because of this, it came as no surprise that CBS recently renewed NCIS for a 17th season, to the delight of many fans.
However, despite the fact that the show will be continuing on, there is another question currently up in the air: What will be the fate of Agent Gibbs? Is actor Mark Harmon returning for season 17 or is he retiring? Read on below to find out the answer.
Mark Harmon has been on ‘NCIS’ since Season 1
Harmon is the face of the NCIS franchise. The actor has been on the show since the very first episode in 2003, and he’s been there even through the many cast changes.
The 67-year-old Hollywood veteran clearly loves being on NCIS. He once shared with ET Canada about what being on the show means for him: “I’ve been in too many shows that haven’t done well. To have an appreciation for getting up in the morning and enjoying that drive, to know that you’re coming every day to work with friends … And oh yeah, by the way, it’s the number one show in the world. So, there’s a lot to love here.”
Aside from playing the main character of the show, Harmon is also an executive producer. He currently earns more than $500,000 per episode and is one of the highest-paid actors on television.
Mark Harmon renewed his contract for Season 17 of ‘NCIS’
Earlier this April, it was revealed that Harmon had signed on to be a part of season 17 and viewers are happy the beloved Agent Gibbs is not going anywhere just yet. In a short video posted on the official Twitter account for NCIS star, Wilmer Valderrama (who plays Nick Torres), asked Harmon if he had anything he wanted to tell the fans before the new season.
Harmon smiled and sincerely said, “Thank you.” Although they are only two words, there definitely is a lot behind them. The fans have been a driving force behind NCIS‘ success. Their dedication to the storylines and characters have allowed the series to continue for this long.
However, Harmon has only renewed his contract for season 17 and it still remains to be seen whether or not he will return as Agent Gibbs in the seasons after that.
Will Mark Harmon retire soon?
Harmon once shared that he never had plans to quit NCIS as long as the writers are still coming up with interesting content for the show. “Right now our writers are all very up and excited,” Harmon said. “You can see it on their faces. Now, if I ever witness them walking into the writers’ room with their heads down, feeling they’ve done it all, that would be the time to say, ‘I think I’m done here.”
Nevertheless, he is currently in his late 60s and is at an age where many of his peers are going into retirement. As such, it’s perhaps natural for people to wonder if the actor is planning on doing the same thing.
Harmon, apparently, had “toy with the idea” of retirement before, according to a source close to him. He and his wife of over 30 years, Pam Dawber, have thought about what they would like to do in their later years and have come to the conclusion that they “would like to travel more and live a quieter life than they do in Los Angeles.”
Currently, what the future holds for Harmon is still anyone’s guess, but it seems to be an exciting time in his life as he is preparing to transition from being a full-time actor on a TV show that he has been a part of for more than 15 years to living life as a retiree.
