Mark Harmon recently reflected on his early career and how he initially worked in advertising before deciding to pursue acting
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The now-74-year-old explained that a chance phone call helped open the door to his first real opportunity in Hollywood
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Now, Harmon has become synonymous with NCIS after playing Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs for nearly two decades
Although now synonymous withNCIS,Mark Harmon's pathinto acting wasn't exactly straightforward.
During a recent appearance onThe Fifth Columnpodcast, the 74-year-old reflected on the unexpected turns thatled him into acting.
Before landing major roles, Harmon revealed he was working as a merchandising director, trying to build a stable career outside of Hollywood. That chapter of his life, however, never quite felt like the right fit.
“When the advertising stuff kind of stopped being… I just knew I had to get out of that and do something else, and I said that to my parents,” Harmon told hosts Kmele Foster, Michael Moynihan and Matt Welch.
“I had been in acting class, and I had been going and doing that, and I didn't know where to go from there. I didn't have an agent. I didn't know what to do," he continued.
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As the son of actress Elyse Knox and football star-turned-broadcaster Tom Harmon, Mark grew up around both entertainment and sports. His first on-screen opportunity came in 1973 with a guest role onOzzie's Girls, a connection made possible through his sister Kristin and her husband, singer and actor Ricky Nelson, who were already part of the television world.
Still, breaking into the industry wasn't seamless. At one point, Mark found himself watchingDragnetwhen he saw the studio ident for Mark VII Limited.
Acting on impulse, he tracked down the company's number and called on a whim. On the other end was a secretary who could have easily dismissed the unknown caller — but didn't. That moment of chance led to a conversation with Jack Webb, the man behind the company.
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“We talked for a couple minutes and [Webb] said, ‘Why don't you come in and talk to me?'” Mark recalled. “And I said ‘Okay,' and I went into Universal, and I went into Mark VII, which at that time... Universal was a big enchilada, man."
During their conversation, Mark noted that Webb "just kinda listened to me." Webb pointed to the actor's experience as a college quarterback as why he might make a good actor, noting that he "always pretended that [he] had the ball when [he] didn't," an element of "make believe" just like in acting.
That meeting ended up opening doors for Mark and led to a steady climb through film and television — including an early role playing Officer Gus Corbin in a 1975 episode ofAdam-12.
Mark later made guest appearances onPolice Womanin 1975 andLaverne & Shirleyin 1976. Around the same time, he transitioned into film, appearing in projects likeComes a HorsemanandBeyond the Poseidon Adventure.
Since then, he has appeared in projects likeSummer School,The Presidio,Crossfire TrailandFreaky Friday.
His most defining role arrived when he was cast as Leroy Jethro Gibbs onNCIS, a character that would anchor the series for nearly two decades. Mark ultimatelystepped away from the role in 2021after 18 seasons, but has since reprised his character in afew scenes forNCIS: Origins.
"As an executive producer and dear friend, Mark continues to be an integral part of the fabric of the show. Our north star has always been staying true to our characters, and that truth has always guided the stories we tell and where those characters go," Steven Binder, executive producer,told PEOPLEin a statement at the time of the actor's departure.
"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."
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