Mark Harmon on Leaving Gibbs Behind on ‘NCIS’ and His Return for ‘Origins’

Mark Harmon, who played Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS for 18 seasons, left the show in October 2021. While he hasn’t ruled out a return, he remains unsure if it will happen. He recently joked that after changing agents, he doesn’t know if he received a call to return. On a more serious note, Harmon explained to Parade that his departure was more about timing than a decision to leave. He was pleased with how the storyline for Gibbs was handled and is grateful that the show has continued successfully.

Harmon is now involved in a new series, NCIS: Origins, serving as an executive producer and narrator. The idea for the series came from his son, Sean Harmon, while the concept of narration was pitched by showrunners David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal, both of whom Mark has worked with for years. Harmon expressed his excitement for the project, noting that it will be a different show and hinted that Mike Franks (played by Kyle Schmid) will play a significant role.

Despite his executive producer role, Harmon is taking a more hands-off approach, letting North and Monreal lead the show. He enjoys working with the cast and crew again, especially his son, and finds it fun to be part of the project, even in a more distant capacity.

As for Gibbs, Harmon humorously remarked that he doesn’t think the character is still “standing in the stream in Alaska,” leaving fans to speculate about Gibbs’ current whereabouts.