HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Thomas Mark Harmon (born September 2, 1951) is an American actor. He is most famous for playing the lead role of
Leroy Jethro Gibbs Leroy Jethro Gibbs is a fictional character and the original protagonist of the CBS TV series ''NCIS'', portrayed by Mark Harmon. He is a former U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper turned special agent who commands a team for the Naval Criminal ...
in ''
NCIS NCIS or N.C.I.S. may refer to: Law enforcement * National Criminal Intelligence Service, the predecessor to the Serious Organised Crime Agency of the United Kingdom * Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a United States law enforcement and intelli ...
''. He also appeared in a wide variety of roles since the early 1970s. After spending the majority of the 1990s as a character actor, he played Secret Service special agent Simon Donovan in a four-episode story arc in ''
The West Wing ''The West Wing'' is an American serial (radio and television), serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the ...
'' in 2002, receiving an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nomination for the role. Harmon's character of
NCIS NCIS or N.C.I.S. may refer to: Law enforcement * National Criminal Intelligence Service, the predecessor to the Serious Organised Crime Agency of the United Kingdom * Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a United States law enforcement and intelli ...
special agent
Leroy Jethro Gibbs Leroy Jethro Gibbs is a fictional character and the original protagonist of the CBS TV series ''NCIS'', portrayed by Mark Harmon. He is a former U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper turned special agent who commands a team for the Naval Criminal ...
was introduced in a guest starring role in two episodes of '' JAG''. From 2003 to 2021, Harmon starred in the spinoff ''NCIS'' as the same character.


Early life

Harmon was born in
Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, wh ...
, the youngest of three children. His parents were Heisman Trophy–winning football player and broadcaster
Tom Harmon Thomas Dudley Harmon (September 28, 1919 – March 15, 1990), known as Tom Harmon, as well as by the nickname "Old 98", was an American football player, military pilot, actor, and sports broadcaster. Harmon grew up in Gary, Indiana, and playe ...
and actress, model, and artist Elyse Knox (
née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth ...
Elsie Lillian Kornbrath). Harmon had two older sisters, the late actress and painter
Kristin Nelson Sharon Kristin Nelson (née Harmon; June 25, 1945 – April 27, 2018) was an American primitive painter, actress, and author. She was married to the actor and musician Ricky Nelson for nineteen years, and is the sister of actor Mark Harmon. Earl ...
, who was divorced from the late singer Rick Nelson, and actress and model Kelly Harmon, formerly married to car magnate John DeLorean. His maternal grandparents were Austrian immigrants.


College football

After his high school graduation from Harvard-Westlake School in 1970, Harmon completed a two-year associate degree at Pierce College in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
. After his second season at Pierce, 1971, Harmon received offers from major college football programs, ultimately choosing
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a Normal school, teachers colle ...
over Oklahoma, even though in the previous season,
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
, the Sooners finished second in the nation, while the Bruins had stumbled to a 2–7–1 record, placing last in the Pac-8. After transferring to the
University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a Normal school, teachers colle ...
, he started at
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
for the 1972 and
1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: ...
Bruins. During his first game, his UCLA team produced a stunning upset of the two-time defending national champion Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Bruins were an eighteen-point home underdog to the top-ranked Huskers but won 20–17 on a late field goal by Efren Herrera under the lights of
L.A. Coliseum The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Conceived as a hallmark of civic pride, the Coliseum was commissioned in 1921 as a mem ...
. In his
senior year Senior Year may refer to: * Senior (education), the final year in high school or college * ''Senior Year'' (2010 film), the 2010 film by Filipino director Jerrold Tarog * ''Senior Year'' (2022 film), a film starring Rebel Wilson * The Lockheed U-2 ...
, Harmon received the
National Football Foundation The National Football Foundation (NFF) is a non-profit organization to promote and develop amateur American football on all levels throughout the United States and "developing the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the dr ...
Award for All-Round Excellence. During his two years as quarterback in coach Pepper Rodgers's wishbone offense, UCLA compiled a 17–5 record (). Harmon graduated '' cum laude'' from UCLA in 1974 with a B.A. in
Communications Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inqui ...
. He was inducted into the inaugural class of the Pierce College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.


Career


Early career

After college, Harmon considered pursuing a career in advertising or law." Harmon started his career in business as a merchandising director, but soon decided to switch to acting. He spent much of his career portraying law enforcement and medical personnel. One of his first national TV appearances (other than as an athlete) was in a commercial for Kellogg's Product 19 cereal with his father,
Tom Harmon Thomas Dudley Harmon (September 28, 1919 – March 15, 1990), known as Tom Harmon, as well as by the nickname "Old 98", was an American football player, military pilot, actor, and sports broadcaster. Harmon grew up in Gary, Indiana, and playe ...
, its longstanding TV spokesman. Thanks to his sister Kristin's in-laws, Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Nelson, he landed his first job as an actor in an episode of '' Ozzie's Girls.'' This was followed by guest roles in episodes of '' Adam-12'', ''
Police Woman The integration of women into law enforcement positions can be considered a large social change. A century ago, there were few jobs open to women in law enforcement. A small number of women worked as correctional officers, and their assignment ...
'', and ''
Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American action-adventure medical drama A medical drama is a television show or film in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television) ...
'' in mid-1975. He also performed in "905-Wild", a backdoor pilot episode for a series about two L.A. County Animal Control Officers which did not sell. Producer/creator
Jack Webb John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, director, and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Sgt. Joe Friday in the ''Dragnet'' franchise, which he created. He was a ...
, who was the packager of both series, later cast Harmon in ''
Sam Sam, SAM or variants may refer to: Places * Sam, Benin * Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso * Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso * Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso * Sam, Iran * Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place People and fictional ...
'', a short-lived 1978 series about an LAPD officer and his K-9 partner. Before this, Harmon received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his performance as Robert Dunlap in the TV movie '' Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years''. In 1978, he appeared in three episodes of the mini-series, '' Centennial'', as Captain John MacIntosh, an honorable Union cavalry officer. During the mid- to late-1970s, Harmon made guest appearances on TV series, including ''
Laverne & Shirley ''Laverne & Shirley'' (originally ''Laverne DeFazio & Shirley Feeney'') is an American sitcom television series that played for eight seasons on ABC from January 27, 1976, to May 10, 1983. A spin-off of '' Happy Days'', ''Laverne & Shirley'' st ...
'', '' Delvecchio'', '' The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries'', and had supporting roles in the feature films '' Comes a Horseman'' (1978) and ''
Beyond the Poseidon Adventure ''Beyond the Poseidon Adventure'' is a 1979 American action-adventure disaster film and a sequel to '' The Poseidon Adventure'' (1972) directed by Irwin Allen and starring Michael Caine and Sally Field. It was a critical and commercial box office ...
'' (1979). He then landed a co-starring role on the 1979 action series '' 240-Robert'' as Deputy Dwayne Thibideaux. The series centered around the missions of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Emergency Services Detail, but was also short-lived. In 1980, Harmon gained a regular role in the prime time soap opera '' Flamingo Road'', in which he played Fielding Carlisle, the husband of
Morgan Fairchild Morgan Fairchild (born Patsy Ann McClenny; February 3, 1950) is an American actress. She began acting in the early 1970s and has had roles in several television series since. Fairchild began her career on the CBS daytime soap opera '' Search for ...
's character. Despite initially good ratings, the series was canceled after two seasons. Following its cancellation, he landed the role of Dr. Robert Caldwell on the series ''
St. Elsewhere ''St. Elsewhere'' was an American medical drama television series created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982, to May 25, 1988. The series stars Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd, and William Daniels as ...
'' in 1983. Harmon appeared in the show for almost three seasons before leaving in early 1986 when his character contracted
HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immu ...
through unprotected intercourse, one of the first instances where a major recurring television character contracted the virus (the character's subsequent off-screen death from AIDS would be mentioned two years later). In the mid-1980s, Harmon also became the spokesperson for Coors Regular beer, appearing in television commercials for them. Harmon's career reached several other high points in 1986. In January, he was named ''
People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of proper ...
'' magazine's Sexiest Man Alive. Following his departure from ''St. Elsewhere'' in February, he played the lead in the TV movies '' Prince of Bel Air'', co-starring with Kirstie Alley, and '' The Deliberate Stranger'', in which he portrayed the real-life
serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
Ted Bundy Theodore Robert Bundy (Name change, born Cowell; November 24, 1946 – January 24, 1989) was an American serial killer who kidnapped, raped and murdered numerous young women and girls during the 1970s and possibly earlier. After more th ...
. With his career blossoming, he played a role in the 1986 theatrical film '' Let's Get Harry'' and the lead role in the 1987 comedy '' Summer School'', again co-starring with Kirstie Alley and alongside future '' JAG'' and ''
NCIS NCIS or N.C.I.S. may refer to: Law enforcement * National Criminal Intelligence Service, the predecessor to the Serious Organised Crime Agency of the United Kingdom * Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a United States law enforcement and intelli ...
'' alum Patrick Labyorteaux. Returning briefly to episodic television in 1987, Harmon had a limited engagement on the series '' Moonlighting'', playing Cybill Shepherd's love interest Sam Crawford for four episodes. He then starred in the 1987 TV movie ''After the Promise''. In 1988, he co-starred with Sean Connery and Meg Ryan in the 1988 feature film '' The Presidio'', and also opposite
Jodie Foster Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and the hon ...
in the film ''
Stealing Home ''Stealing Home'' is a 1988 American coming of age romantic drama film written and directed by Steven Kampmann and William Porter (billed as Will Aldis). The film stars Mark Harmon, Blair Brown, Jonathan Silverman, Harold Ramis, William McNamara ...
''. Despite several high-profile roles, Harmon's film career never gathered momentum and, after a muted reception to his 1989 comedy '' Worth Winning'', he returned to television, appearing in various television movies. Harmon's next regular television role would be as Chicago police detective Dickie Cobb for two seasons (1991–1993) on the NBC series '' Reasonable Doubts''. In 1993, he appeared in one episode in the role of a rodeo clown on the CBS comedy/western series '' Harts of the West'' with future castmate
Sean Murray Sean Murray may refer to: * Sean Murray (field hockey) (born 1997), Lisnagarvey player and senior Ireland international * Sean Murray (footballer, born 1993), Dundalk FC player and Irish youth international * Sean Murray (Gaelic footballer), Dubli ...
, who plays McGee on ''NCIS''. In 1995, Harmon starred in the ABC series '' Charlie Grace'', in which he portrayed a private investigator. The series lasted only one season, after which he returned to ensemble medical shows on the series ''
Chicago Hope ''Chicago Hope'' is an American medical drama television series, created by David E. Kelley. It originally aired on CBS from September 18, 1994, to May 4, 2000. The series is set in a fictional private charitable hospital in Chicago, Illinoi ...
'', in which he played Dr. Jack McNeil from 1996 to 2000. He also portrayed astronaut
Wally Schirra Walter Marty Schirra Jr. (, March 12, 1923 – May 3, 2007) was an American naval aviator, test pilot, and NASA astronaut. In 1959, he became one of the original seven astronauts chosen for Project Mercury, which was the United States' fi ...
in one episode of the 1998 mini-series ''
From the Earth to the Moon ''From the Earth to the Moon: A Direct Route in 97 Hours, 20 Minutes'' (french: De la Terre à la Lune, trajet direct en 97 heures 20 minutes) is an 1865 novel by Jules Verne. It tells the story of the Baltimore Gun Club, a post-American Civil W ...
''.


''NCIS''

In May 2002, Harmon portrayed Secret Service special agent Simon Donovan on ''
The West Wing ''The West Wing'' is an American serial (radio and television), serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the ...
'' in a four-episode story arc. The role gained him his second Emmy Award nomination, exactly 25 years after his first.
Donald P. Bellisario Donald Paul Bellisario (born August 8, 1935) is an American television producer and screenwriter who created and sometimes wrote episodes for the TV series ''Magnum, P.I.'' (1980), ''Tales of the Gold Monkey'' (1982), ''Airwolf'' (1984), ''Quant ...
, the creator of ''JAG'' and ''NCIS'' saw him on ''The West Wing'' and had Harmon appear in a guest starring role in two episodes of '' JAG'' in April 2003, where Harmon was introduced as the character of
NCIS NCIS or N.C.I.S. may refer to: Law enforcement * National Criminal Intelligence Service, the predecessor to the Serious Organised Crime Agency of the United Kingdom * Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a United States law enforcement and intelli ...
agent
Leroy Jethro Gibbs Leroy Jethro Gibbs is a fictional character and the original protagonist of the CBS TV series ''NCIS'', portrayed by Mark Harmon. He is a former U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper turned special agent who commands a team for the Naval Criminal ...
. Starting that September, Harmon has starred as Gibbs in the CBS drama ''
NCIS NCIS or N.C.I.S. may refer to: Law enforcement * National Criminal Intelligence Service, the predecessor to the Serious Organised Crime Agency of the United Kingdom * Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a United States law enforcement and intelli ...
'', a role which has earned him six nominations at the
People's Choice Awards The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the general public and fans. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined using Gallup Polls unt ...
including a win for Favorite TV Crime Drama Actor in 2017. During his time on the show, he was reunited with three of his former ''Chicago Hope'' co-stars, Rocky Carroll, Lauren Holly, and Jayne Brook. Since 2008, he has also been a producer and executive producer. In the fourth episode of the show's nineteenth season, Harmon's Gibbs exited the series as a series regular, an exit set in motion by the events of the previous season finale.


Other activities

In 2003, Harmon had a supporting role in the remake of the comedy film '' Freaky Friday''. Harmon has also starred in several stage productions in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
and
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...
. At the Cast Theatre in Los Angeles, he performed in ''Wrestlers'' and ''The Wager''. In the late Eighties he was part of the cast of the
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
premiere of ''Key Exchange''. Several productions of ''Love Letters'' provided him the opportunity to play alongside his wife Pam Dawber. Harmon received the 2,482nd star of the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
on October 1, 2012. In 2014, Harmon started a production company called Wings Productions to produce '' NCIS: New Orleans''. As of 2018, Harmon works as a producer for a new CBS series, based on author John Sandford's best-selling ''Prey'' novels, which have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. The last 10 have reached No. 1 on ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' best-seller list. Harmon also directed two episodes of ''
Chicago Hope ''Chicago Hope'' is an American medical drama television series, created by David E. Kelley. It originally aired on CBS from September 18, 1994, to May 4, 2000. The series is set in a fictional private charitable hospital in Chicago, Illinoi ...
'' in 1999 and 2000, and two episodes of ''
Boston Public ''Boston Public'' is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox. Set in Boston, the series centers on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school in the Boston Public Scho ...
'' in 2002.


Personal life

Harmon is the son of football player
Tom Harmon Thomas Dudley Harmon (September 28, 1919 – March 15, 1990), known as Tom Harmon, as well as by the nickname "Old 98", was an American football player, military pilot, actor, and sports broadcaster. Harmon grew up in Gary, Indiana, and playe ...
and actress Elyse Knox. His sisters are Kelly, an actress and model, and Kristin, an actress and painter. Kristin died of a heart attack on April 27, 2018. Harmon worked as a
carpenter Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters tra ...
before making a success of his acting career. Harmon has been married to actress Pam Dawber since March 21, 1987. The couple have two sons. Their son Sean has played a young Gibbs in several ''NCIS'' episodes, They maintain a low profile and rarely appear in public with their children. Harmon was the brother-in-law of Ricky Nelson and John DeLorean and is the uncle of actress Tracy Nelson and singers Matthew and Gunnar Nelson of the rock duo Nelson. In 1987, Harmon filed for custody of his nephew Sam, Kristin's son, on the grounds that she was incapable of good parenting. Sam's psychiatrist testified that the thirteen-year-old boy depicted his mother as a dragon and complained about her mood swings and how she prevented him from being with his siblings. Harmon later dropped the custody bid. In 1988, Harmon was part owner of a minor league baseball team, the San Bernardino Spirit, the same season
Ken Griffey Jr. George Kenneth Griffey Jr. (born November 21, 1969), nicknamed "Junior" and "the Kid", is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played 22 years in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent most of his career with the Seattle Marin ...
played for the team before his major league call-up to the
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...
the next season. Harmon used the team and their home field, Fiscalini Field, for the opening and closing scenes of the film in which he was starring, ''
Stealing Home ''Stealing Home'' is a 1988 American coming of age romantic drama film written and directed by Steven Kampmann and William Porter (billed as Will Aldis). The film stars Mark Harmon, Blair Brown, Jonathan Silverman, Harold Ramis, William McNamara ...
''. In 1996, Harmon saved a teenage boy involved in a car accident outside his Brentwood, Los Angeles, Brentwood home. The driver had been able to escape, but the passenger was trapped in the burning car. Harmon used a sledgehammer from his garage to break the window of the car and pulled the passenger, who suffered burns to 30% of his body, from the flames.


Filmography


Film


Television


Awards and nominations


References


Further reading

*


External links

* * *
Mark Harmon
at TV.com
CBS ''NCIS'' profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harmon, Mark 1951 births Living people American football quarterbacks American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American people of Austrian descent Los Angeles Pierce College people Harvard-Westlake School alumni Male actors from Burbank, California People from Brentwood, Los Angeles Pierce Brahmas football players Players of American football from California Sportspeople from Burbank, California UCLA Bruins football players University of California, Los Angeles alumni 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors