Mark Harmon loved doing the cameo on NCIS: Origins and his involvement has whetted his appetite for more work in the franchise and elsewhere, a source exclusively tells Closer.
“He finds working with his former colleagues a lot more stimulating than staying home with a list of repairs to be done,” the insider says. “It seems his retirement plans have changed, and he wants to do more cameos on NCIS, in addition to the narration he does. Plus, he’s looking for other acting and producing work.”
Screen veteran Mark, 73, hung up his badge as special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs in 2021 after 19 seasons playing the character on the original NCIS. With the show’s newest spinoff, NCIS: Origins, Austin Stowell has taken up the role as the younger version of Gibbs, but that doesn’t mean Mark is out of the picture whatsoever.
The actor emerged from his retirement for a few short stints on the new CBS production, which showrunners made sure was a good time for him.
“Bosses have been waiting a long time to get Mark back in front of the camera and they’re making a big to-do over him,” a second source previously told Closer. “To say Mark’s being pampered would be an understatement.”
While the NCIS alum is also an executive producer on the new show, being back on screen was certainly a thrill for the actor, who was initially unsure about reprising his role. Eager to keep him happy, producers have “been catering to his every need – masseuse, dog walker, espresso machine, anything he wants to make himself feel comfortable on the set.”
The show has become such a big part of Mark’s life, even his son Sean is a producer on the new spin off. Without a doubt, life on-set has been calling to the actor once again, beckoning him out of his premature retirement.
The first source says that “He sees this as a fresh start,” and the hiatus between acting jobs from the end of the main NCIS to picking up some cameos was just a short break in his career. “Now, he’s ready to get out there again, and no doubt he has the full support of his wife Pam [Dawber] and sons.”
During his temporary retirement, Mark even tried his hand at writing history, penning a World War Two book, Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese spy, a Japanese American spy hunter, and the untold story of Pearl Harbor with an actual, retired NCIS special agent, Leon Carroll Jr.
That may have kept him satisfied for a short while, but the career of an actor isn’t limited by age so much as demand, which means Mark holds all the cards as he considers dipping his toe back into television. With the prospect of golf filling his golden years, the source says that Mark made the executive decision to keep working mostly out of boredom.
“Truth is that a lot of retirees get bored real fast with retirement and Mark’s no exception.”
Mark Harmon loved doing the cameo on NCIS: Origins and his involvement has whetted his appetite for more work in the franchise and elsewhere, a source exclusively tells Closer.
“He finds working with his former colleagues a lot more stimulating than staying home with a list of repairs to be done,” the insider says. “It seems his retirement plans have changed, and he wants to do more cameos on NCIS, in addition to the narration he does. Plus, he’s looking for other acting and producing work.”
Screen veteran Mark, 73, hung up his badge as special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs in 2021 after 19 seasons playing the character on the original NCIS. With the show’s newest spinoff, NCIS: Origins, Austin Stowell has taken up the role as the younger version of Gibbs, but that doesn’t mean Mark is out of the picture whatsoever.
The actor emerged from his retirement for a few short stints on the new CBS production, which showrunners made sure was a good time for him.
“Bosses have been waiting a long time to get Mark back in front of the camera and they’re making a big to-do over him,” a second source previously told Closer. “To say Mark’s being pampered would be an understatement.”
While the NCIS alum is also an executive producer on the new show, being back on screen was certainly a thrill for the actor, who was initially unsure about reprising his role. Eager to keep him happy, producers have “been catering to his every need – masseuse, dog walker, espresso machine, anything he wants to make himself feel comfortable on the set.”
The show has become such a big part of Mark’s life, even his son Sean is a producer on the new spin off. Without a doubt, life on-set has been calling to the actor once again, beckoning him out of his premature retirement.
The first source says that “He sees this as a fresh start,” and the hiatus between acting jobs from the end of the main NCIS to picking up some cameos was just a short break in his career. “Now, he’s ready to get out there again, and no doubt he has the full support of his wife Pam [Dawber] and sons.”
During his temporary retirement, Mark even tried his hand at writing history, penning a World War Two book, Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese spy, a Japanese American spy hunter, and the untold story of Pearl Harbor with an actual, retired NCIS special agent, Leon Carroll Jr.
That may have kept him satisfied for a short while, but the career of an actor isn’t limited by age so much as demand, which means Mark holds all the cards as he considers dipping his toe back into television. With the prospect of golf filling his golden years, the source says that Mark made the executive decision to keep working mostly out of boredom.
“Truth is that a lot of retirees get bored real fast with retirement and Mark’s no exception.”