Did Mark Harmon Get Along With His ‘NCIS’ Co-Stars?

Just recently, Mark Harmon shocked fans with his decision to leave the CBS drama NCIS. Up until his exit, Harmon had been one of the few cast members who had been with the show since it first aired in 2003. At the same time, Harmon had also been serving as an executive producer on the hit show since 2011. Hence, no one ever imagined that he would decide to leave while the series continues.

As fans know, this isn’t the first time that a major star has departed the c***e procedural. However, with Harmon’s Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs being the heart of the show, it’s quite impossible to imagine NCIS without him. And while Gibbs and his team regard each other as family in the series, there have been questions about whether the cast truly get along in real life. Especially in recent years, many have wondered whether Harmon has a good relationship with all of his NCIS co-stars.

A Lot Of NCIS Stars Looked Up To Mark Harmon

Harmon had been a veteran actor long before he came to NCIS. In fact, he’s been around since the 70s, taking on a series of tv roles in shows such as Sam, Centennial, 240-Robert, Flamingo Road, St. Elsewhere, Chicago Hope, The West Wing, and Harts of the West, where he first met NCIS co-star Sean Murray. Even then, Murray was in awe of Harmon. “I’ll never forget. That’s where I first met Harmon,” Murray told Country Living. “And he made an impression on me even back then.”

As for Cote de Pablo, who famously plays Ziva on the show, the actor saw Harmon as a “mentor.” “[Mark Harmon] is more of a friend mentor. He was always like a father figure to me,” the actress explained during an appearance in BUILD. “Obviously, Ziva and Gibbs have that but Cote and Mark have that as well.”

Meanwhile, former NCIS star Michael Weatherly said that working with Harmon helped him prepare to lead his own CBS drama, Bull. “It’s been very illuminating and given me a great deal of insight and regard for what Mark Harmon was doing all those years (on ‘NCIS’),” the actor told USA Today. “When I was like, ‘How come he doesn’t have as much fun as the rest of us?’”

That said, Weatherly also revealed that he and Harmon never really became close, even after spending several years on the show together. After all, they had always been polar opposites. “Mark Harmon and I were on different poles. I was Antarctica, he was the North Pole …,” he told The Futon Critic. “And he was confused by my presence right from the get-go.” That said, Weatherly also said that they parted on good terms when he left NCIS. “He was pretty succinct,” he told Parade. “He said, ‘Thank you and good luck,’ which I adored the simplicity of and appreciated deeply that he was giving his handshake and support.”

However, This Former NCIS Star Also Once Called Mark Harmon Out

While Harmon seems to have a good relationship with several of the show’s stars, it seems the actor didn’t get along well with former NCIS star Pauley Perrette, who left the show in 2018. And while the relationship between Harmon’s Gibbs and Perrette’s Abby looked closer than ever onscreen, Perrette revealed things got really frosty between them behind the scenes.

Following her exit, numerous stories were released about why Perrette left the show. Eventually, reports emerged that an incident took place on the set of the series. According to reports, a crew member ended up getting 15 stitches after Harmon’s dog bit him. Meanwhile, Perrette became furious and called out Harmon. Since then, they two have decided to stay out of each other’s way. In fact, they refused to film scenes together.

Since leaving the show, Perrette has also left cryptic posts on Twitter, alluding to her feud with Harmon. “No morals, no obligation to truth, and I’m just left here, reading the lies, trying to protect my crew,” the actress once wrote in one post. “Trying to remain calm. He did it.” Meanwhile, in another post, Perrette also said that she left the show following “Multiple Physical A******s.” Harmon has never responded to any of Perrette’s accusations.

Will Mark Harmon Ever Return To NCIS?

On the show, Gibbs may have told McGee (Murray) that he wasn’t going back. However, fans may glad to know that a return in the future hasn’t been ruled out completely. In fact, showrunner Steven D. Binder is choosing to stay optimistic.

“As an executive producer and dear friend, Mark continues to be an integral part of the fabric of the show,” Binder said in a statement. “So regarding the future of Gibbs, as long-time fans of the show may have noticed over the years … never count Leroy Jethro Gibbs out.” At the moment, it is unclear if NCIS would be renewed for a 20th season.