Mark Harmon is known and loved for his portrayal of Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the hit police drama, NCIS.
MORE: NCIS star Mark Harmon: the tragic life of famous sister Kristin Nelson
But did you know that prior to his acting career, Mark had a very different job? Find out all about it here…
WATCH: Leroy Gibbs says goodbye after 19 years
Before he rose to fame playing the lead role in the popular crime show, Mark had a very different career path in mind and worked as a carpenter before being a successful actor.
During an interview with Men's Journal, the 71-year-old revealed that he couldn't get hired as a carpenter, despite enjoying the routine of the job.
MORE: NCIS star Mark Harmon almost missed out on the role of Gibbs to this huge Hollywood name
MORE: Will Cote de Pablo ever return to NCIS?
When asked what he'd be doing if he wasn't in the world of TV and film, he said: "I'd be a carpenter. I tried to do that, but I just couldn't get hired. I enjoyed getting up and doing that in the morning; I enjoyed the drive to work. For me, it was about materials and doing right. If you did it right, [the project] outlasted you."
Mark played Leroy Gibbs in the hit police drama
He continued: "I still enjoy [carpentry], but I think that’s probably what I would have been trying to do had I not been [acting]."
He went on to reveal that he landed a job as a salesman before quitting his job to pursue acting. Chatting about what motivated him to leave his former career, he said: "When I was doing that shoe salesman job. I was coming back from Boston and I was sitting next to a 33-year-old who was talking about trying to make pension at 65," he explained.
"He was drinking his second martini by the time we were wheels up. He was miserable in his job and he was trying to maintain the job for another [32] years. I went home, got in my car, drove out to the place where I worked, and gave my notice."
Like this story? Sign up to our What to Watch newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.