It’s hard to imagine a world where Mark Harmon isn’t Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS. But apparently, that could have been the case.
The Hollywood Reporter published an oral history with some of the creative brains behind the success of the popular CBS drama as it marks its 20th year on television. When the topic of how Mark was discovered by casting directors to portray the main character eventually came up, executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson made a startling revelation. As it turned out, a different well-known actor’s name was a contender for the iconic part.
“I know Harrison Ford was a name that everybody thought about for Gibbs because he was so perfect,” Charles revealed in the article published on September 25. “But I don’t think it ever got further than… it was a name thrown out.”
Charles wasn’t the only person who recalled the 1923 star as a leading candidate to play Gibbs. Former CBS casting director Peter Golden also stated that they were interested in Harrison for the role. But in contrast to modern television, it was uncommon for a well-known movie star to enter the television industry.
No name is off the table when you go down and have an initial talk about casting, he continued at that point. The Harrison Fords of the world [rarely did TV] in the early 2000s. However, it doesn’t imply that you didn’t include them on the list.
While the show’s higher-ups couldn’t necessarily snag Harrison for NCIS, they certainly lucked out with giving Mark the part of Gibbs. What’s more, the show’s co-creator Donald P. Bellisario was on board with casting The West Wing alum in what would become his most iconic role.
“Mark was a big deal, and everybody thought, “We’ll make an offer to Mark Harmon, and when we don’t get him, let’s go through the list of who else we could acquire,” said Peter. “Mark and Don Bellisario met, and they got along well enough that Mark agreed to do it. The show suddenly gained a lot more significance in my mind.
It goes without saying that Mark becoming Gibbs would alter how NCIS is created. The series took off right away, and Mark remained until about halfway through season 19. We’re fortunate to have seen Mark in this role, to put it mildly.