Mark Harmon has been married to actress wife Pam Dawber for an impressive 36 years, but you won’t believe the unusual way he asked her out on a date.
Recalling their first meeting, the former NCIS star admitted that originally, a mutual friend wanted to set Pam and him up via a group date, but Mark preferred a more direct approach.
“I said, 'Can I just call? Can I get a number and just cold call?'” he told People. And that's exactly what he did back in 1986. However, his first attempt at arranging a date didn't go as planned as he revealed that when he called Pam, he got her answering machine - but he didn’t let that stop him.
Undeterred, Mark began to leave a message for Pam, but little did he know she was screening the call. Recalling what he said, Mark shared: "'We don't have to (all) go out. We could get a cup of coffee or something.’ "
© David LivingstonHis simple but sweet words did the trick. "She was monitoring and she picked up," he explained. We went out that night and we're together ever since.”
A year “to the day” that they first started dating, Mark married the Mork & Mindy star. When he was crowned Sexiest Man Alive in 1986, he revealed that he was “real monogamous by nature, and I'm fine being alone like I am now." I'm confused by this and then next line, he's talking about being alone but you just said he married?
"When I marry, I want it to be everything this town says it can't be. I'm not into catting around”, he said.
37 years later, Mark and Pam have two grown children, Sean, an actor who has appeared on NCIS, and Ty, a screenwriter. The couple are going strong, but according to the former NCIS actor, there’s “no secret” to a happy marriage.
“We laugh. You got to laugh, and you got to talk and communicate," he divulged. "That's the fun part. Do we sit and talk about it? No. Maybe you just get fortunate and find the right one. We share many things and yet we're really different.”
Together the couple live a quiet life in California, as Pam explained her husband is a “garage guy" and has around 17 hammers, while Pam has a "lady cave" that is her art studio.
