Mark Harmon Has Definitely Left His Mark

His father, Tom Harmon, was a Heisman trophy winner having played football for the University of Michigan Wolverines. His godfather, Forest Evashevski, is in the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame.

So, naturally, Mark Harmon played football in college. After transferring to the University of California from Los Angeles Pierce College, Harmon was the starting quarterback for the UCLA Bruins. He was awarded the National Football Foundation Award for All-Round Excellence in 1973.

Harmon graduated from UCLA the next year with a B.A. in Communications cum laude.

Father Tom Harmon was a spokesperson for Kellogg's Product 19 cereal and son, Mark, made his first national appearance with his father in a television commercial for the cereal.

From there, Harmon began making appearances in shows such as "Adam-12," "Emergency," and "Police Woman."

Taking roles in law enforcement or medical shows became something of a theme for Harmon. He was Dr. Robert Caldwell on "St. Elsewhere," Detective Dickie Cobb on "Reasonable Doubts" and Dr. Jack McNeil on "Chicago Hope," and Secret Service Agent Simon Donovan on "The West Wing."

But he also tried his acting wings on "Moonlighting" playing Cybill Shepherd's love interest Sam Crawford and serial killer Ted Bundy in the television movie "The Deliberate Stranger."

In 1987, Harmon married Pam Dawber, best known for her role as Mindy on "Mork & Mindy" which launched the career of Robin Williams. They have two sons, Sean Thomas Harmon and Ty Christian Harmon. Sean Harmon portrayed a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs on an NCIS episode titled "Heartland" at the very end where Gibbs meets his future wife, Shannon, for the first time.

It was also in 1987 that the Harmons engaged in a custody battle for Harmon's nephew.

Harmon's sisters both married well-known men. Kelly Harmon, also an actress, married car magnate John DeLorean. Sister Kristin, an actress and painter, married pop icon Ricky Nelson. Which made Mark Harmon uncle to their children: Matthew and Gunnar Nelson of the band Nelson, actress Tracy Nelson and son Sam Nelson.

Kristin Nelson was engaged in alleged drug abuse and alleged abusive behavior towards Sam. Sam phoned his Uncle Mark begging to be taken out of his mother's home.

The battle pitted brother against sister in the debate about what was best for then thirteen year old Sam.

After a great deal of further debate, a visit to New Beginnings to clean up, and much melodrama, Kris and Mark walked away from the battle arm in arm.

Read the full text on the People website.

Casting Harmon as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was a stroke of genius by creator Donald Bellisario. Harmon's acting range - everything from the comical Freddy Shoop in "Summer School" to Ted Bundy and his law enforcement characters in between - more than qualified the accomplished actor to step into the shoes of an NCIS agent.

"NCIS is really character-driven," he said. "I don't think the show's success has to do with the 'caper,' whatever it is that week. Because sometimes we solve the case, sometimes we don't. Sometimes we get the bad guy, or we don't." [1]

His distinguished good looks didn't hurt much, either. People magazine voted Harmon the "Sexiest Man Alive in 1986. [2]

Harmon also made headlines in 1996 when he and Dawber rescued two teenage boys from a car accident in front of their home.

With Mark Harmon at the helm, NCIS will, no doubt, remain a groundbreaking top ten drama for at least a few more years to come.

Sources:

[1] Parade Magazine
[2] Perfect People
People Magazine