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

US Managing Editor
November 28, 2022

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.

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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.

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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."

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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