Mark Harmon Discusses His Role and Potential Return in NCIS
Mark Harmon’s character, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, remains a cornerstone of the NCIS universe, even as Harmon transitions to narrating the upcoming NCIS: Origins prequel series. Despite his last on-screen appearance in early Season 19 back in 2021, fans are eager for his return.
At the Television Critics Association summer press tour on July 13, Harmon discussed his exit, stating, “It wasn’t so much a decision to leave, but the right timing to push away a little bit.” He expressed satisfaction with the storyline progression and affirmed, “I was thrilled with the storyline they came up with and how they handled the character. And the show continued on.”
Gibbs’ final appearance was in the 2021 episode “Great Wide Open,” where he and McGee tracked a serial killer in Alaska. The episode concluded with Gibbs choosing to stay in Alaska after discovering peace there post-family tragedy. While updates on Gibbs have been sparse, Season 21 hinted at his presence when McGee received an envelope from Southwest Alaska containing a photo of Gibbs, McGee, and Dr. Ducky Mallard (David McCallum). This suggests Gibbs is likely still residing in Alaska.
Though Harmon is an executive producer on NCIS, he was notably absent from both the tribute episode for David McCallum and the milestone 1,000th episode aired last April.
Addressing his potential return, Harmon commented, “I have been asked that a lot… I’ve always let the writers do what they want to do.” He revealed there hasn’t been direct communication about returning, stating, “Directly, like a phone call…? Not that I’m aware of.” When asked about possibly reappearing for an eventual series finale, he remained ambiguous, saying, “I don’t know. It’s really about feeling like you’re fulfilled with a role or complete with a role.”
