Skip to main contentSkip to footer
ncis mark harmon sacrifice family impacting career

Mark Harmon made the ultimate sacrifice for his family - and he wouldn't have it any other way

The Leroy Gibbs star is married to Pam Dawber

Hanna Fillingham
US Managing Editor
November 28, 2022
Share this:

Mark Harmon is a popular actor and has a legion of fans as a result of his high-profile roles, including Leroy Gibbs on NCIS.

MORE: Mark Harmon disagrees with wife as he makes revelation about relationship

The star is married to fellow actress Pam Dawber, and the pair are parents to two grown-up sons, Sean and Ty.

The family are relatively private, but in the rare interviews that Mark gives, he has shared details on his close relationship with his wife and children, and even previously detailed the ultimate career sacrifice he made for them.

VIDEO: NCIS' Mark Harmon's last episode in show as Leroy Gibbs

Mark had the opportunity to become a movie star after his children were born, and went out to shoot a film in New Guinea.

TRENDING STORY: Dylan Dreyer's waterfront home leaves fans in awe

MORE: NCIS: Mark Harmon played huge part in son’s engagement to partner - details

However, the doting father realised that it was nowhere near as important to him as being at home with his young children, and nearly missed a big milestone in his son's childhood as a result of being away - which was the ultimate deciding factor for him when it came to prioritising.

He told CBS News that he had been away and arrived at the airport to see his little boy walking on his own. He recalled telling Pam: "Hate to tell you, but I'm not gonna be doing new movies in New Guinea for the rest of my life to be able to afford the house we're in, and miss all this."

ncis mark harmon shock revelation family life

Mark Harmon shares two sons with wife Pam Dawber

While Mark didn't go on to make more movies, he did land his role in NCIS instead - close to his home in Los Angeles, and giving him a stable job for many years - not to mention an adoring fan base - as a result.

MORE: NCIS star's heartbreaking homeless battle revealed

MORE: Pauley Perrette looks unrecognisable with blond hair in epic throwback

NCIS was a family affair too for Mark, with both his wife and son appearing in the show during his two-decade stint.

Mark left NCIS in October 2021, leaving his fans devastated when he departed in season 19 of the popular show.

ncis mark harmon

The NCIS star has had an incredible career

He opened up about his decision to quit the program almost a year after leaving the show, for a special featurette on the show's season 19 DVD release.

MORE: How Mark Harmon's painful injury changed his lifestyle

MORE: NCIS' Michael Weatherly's dangerous health condition revealed

He sat down to discuss the legacy of his character, as well as his thoughts on how the show wrapped up his storyline, and admitted that the opportunity to tackle "fresh" and "challenging" material is what kept him returning to the drama every season, alluding to the possibility that he felt that after almost two decades on the show, he no longer felt that was the case.

Read more HELLO! US stories here

Like this story? Sign up to our HELLO! newsletters to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up to HELLO! Daily for all the latest and best celebrity coverage

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Celebrity News

See more