Fans Love Mark Harmon
If you’re a fan of his work, send him a shirt as a token of your appreciation. He is likely to put it on and rock it. He takes pride in his collection of vintage Marine Corps and NCIS/NIS attire. And he very publicly wears it all the time when he’s off-set. But can we blame him for wanting to wear the clothes his fans handpicked?
Donald Bellisario Tapped Into His Real-Life Experience
The show creator Don Bellisario served in the US Marine Corps as a gunnery sergeant before moving to show business. He relies heavily on this experience when writing the series scripts. His real-world knowledge of Marine methodology and terminology has helped him stay true to his source material. Then, he displays the ethos of the armed forces in an accurate light.
Many of the characters in his shows are based on current or former members of the armed forces. This was true with Magnum Pi and JAG as well. He’s a faithful depiction of America’s heroes on the small screen. Then, he earned himself a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame which was cemented into history back in 2004.
Sasha Alexander Couldn’t Take The Heat
She played Caitlin Todd in the first couple of seasons. She hadn’t fully expected the amount of stamina that would be required of her for the purposes of the show. Eventually, she left NCIS because she couldn’t keep up with the heavy demands of production.
Bellisario pointed out that this had to do with the fact that she never was a regular on the show. She was expected to work constantly during filming. Production days would sometimes require her to work for 16 hours a day. If she had been a fixture of the series, she might have gotten more adjusted. The grueling demands but in the end, she couldn’t quite cut it.
Michael Weatherly’s Dad Disowned Him
Even though he came from an elite wealthy family, his success is due mainly to his hard work and perseverance. Despite coming from a position of privilege, his family cut him off from his inheritance when he was only 12 years old because of his decision to pursue a career in acting.
You got to hand it to him. He made that choice on his own. He could have had a life of luxury without having to put in the work but instead, he stayed true to his dreams and found stardom as NCIS’s Tony DiNozzo. In fact, he is one of only two actors to appear in all 4 NCIS series and spin-offs. He truly is a self-made man. Wonder what his dad thinks about him now?
Pauley Perrette Actually Worked In Forensics
She played Abby Sciuto, the forensic specialist on NCIS between 2013 and 2018. Although playing the role wasn’t a huge stretch for her as she drew upon her real-life experience as a forensics specialist. She received her master’s degree in the field from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
While she was working on her degree back in New York, she did a little little bit of acting on the side. It was during this period of her life that she scored the role on NCIS. Most of the quirkiness that she displays on screen comes from her just playing herself. In fact, she is much like her on-screen persona in real life.
Mark Harmon is a Master Craftsman
To add a little extra layer of depth to his character on NCIS, Harmon draws upon his real work hobbies, and interests. When he handles tools on set, he actually knows what he is doing. In fact, many props that you see in the show actually come from his own personal workshop, which he doesn’t mind lending out when they are needed.
He first started learning his skills as a craftsman and carpenter when he took a summer job back in his high school days. Producers decided to make his side-hobby a key feature of his character on the series when he nonchalantly mentioned to them that he had helped his next-door neighbor build an airplane – although he’s never actually built a boat in his basement as Gibbs does on the show, but maybe someday.
Mark’s Son Guest-Starred Several Times
When you see young Gibbs in flashbacks, who you are actually seeing his son. If you thought that the make-up department was just really good at there job, then you are sorely mistaken.
Sean Harmon has appeared in six episodes. Mark is married to actress Pam Dawber and the two have another son as well.
By the way, If you’re enjoying this video so far, make sure you give us a like and subscribe to our channel.
Ever wonder how Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs got his name? Stick around to find out.
DC Scenery Isn’t Quite Accurate
If you’ve ever visited Washington DC, you’ll notice that the DC in NCIS looks strikingly different from the real-world locale that serves as it’s inspirations. That’s because much of the series is actually filmed in Santa Clarita, California. One noticeable discrepancy is the fact that the Washington Navy Yard is actually considerably further away from downtown DC then it appears on the show.
The decision to make the two locations seem closer than they really are was actually quite intentional. Set designers wanted to make the visuals more appealing by making the naval yard visible from the squad room. In reality, the view would be much more mundane, but the team wanted to make it appear as if the office was apart of DC’s bustling aesthetic.
Bellisario Invented The Cutaway Sound
The noise which is called a Foof was invented by Don Bellisario. You can hear the sound at the beginning and end of each act. The sound first made it’s appearance in season two and has been used ever since.
The Foof is created by Bellisario hitting a microphone with his hand. It’s considered a unique sound effect as well because NCIS and its spin-offs are the only shows to make sure of the effect.
Harmon’s Rumored Departure Made Waves
He is often thought of as being the leading man of the series. The show wouldn’t be the same without him. So, when rumors began circulating that he might be leaving the show, the cast and crew were rattled.
Michael Weatherly has referred to him as the ‘spine’ of the show and without him, the series would lose its backbone and just be a flopping jellyfish. Fortunately, these rumors were totally unsubstantiated and he remains in his role to this day. A great deal of NCIS’s enduring success has been a result of the addition of him as it’s spine.
Mark Harmon Almost Didn’t Make The Cut
Donald Bellisario wasn’t initially convinced that he was the right choice for agent Gibbs, but after he saw his work as a guest-star in The West Wing, he knew that he was right for the job.
In The West Wing, he played Secret Service Agent Simon Donovon. He only appeared in four episodes, but that was enough for him to land some serious critical acclaim. In fact, he earned an Emmy nod for his work in that series.
His character on The West Wing and his general demeanor in NCIS are in fact quite similar.
Jessica Alba’s Connection To NCIS
Despite the fact that she has never appeared in a single episode of NCIS, she has solidified for herself a place in NCIS-lore and fandom.
Michael Weatherly’s character once stated that he had a better shot at hooking up with Alba than ‘these guys’ have at infiltrating SeaLift. When the two worked together on the series Dark Angel, they started dating and even got engaged back in 2001. That union didn’t quite pan out though, as the two broke things off a couple of years later.
Abby’s Locket Isn’t Just A Prop
Just like how she incorporated her real-life knowledge of forensics into the show, she has also introduced several tidbits of her life into her character. For example, in the episode entitled ‘Enemy on the Hill’, she can be seen holding a locket that featured a photo of her adoptive mother.
In reality, the picture was actually her Mothers. The actress would go on to further honor her mother by opening a bakery named after her in Manhattan.
Mark Harmon’s Early Work Is Referred To
Harmon’s career didn’t start with NCIS as we already made clear when we touched on his West Wing role but you can also see a little Easter Egg of sorts in the opening credits sequence when a clip from his film Presidio is briefly featured – showing an aircraft carrier passing underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. The film was released in 1988, and Harmon played a police inspector in San Francisco that cracks the case of a murder that went down at the Presidio army base in the Bay Area.
A Character Was Named After Bellisario’s Family Members
Nothing like giving a little shout-out to the fam, right?
Donald Bellisario took some creative liberties when naming agent Gibbs. Leroy Jethro is a combination of two of his family members’ names.
Donald’s brother is named Leroy while his father’s middle name is Jethro. Much like other cast members dipping into their own personal lives for inspiration, the shows creator certainly wasn’t shy about doing the same when he came up with the lead’s name.
Bellisario Is Apparently A Wanted Man
When we see the most wanted wall back at the NCIS headquarters, one of the photos is of the show’s creator. Wonder what heinous crime he must have committed?
Captured or killed fugitives are marked with a large red X across their face, but Bellisario is still at large according to the wall. You’d think he wouldn’t be that hard to pin down considering that he’s often on set. Somebody had better start doing their job.
Mark Harmon’s Birthday Celebration
Back in 2005, Michale Weatherly and Lauren Holly went out of their way to make sure that Harmon’s birthday was a memorable one. A reluctant Harmon had already specifically requested that the cast and crew forget about his birthday.
What a party pooper!
But against his wishes, they purchased 150 custom made t-shirts that read ‘It’s Mark Harmon’s Birthday’ and they handed them out to the whole crew. Not only did they hand out all of those shirts making it loud and clear as what the occasion was, but they also decked his trailer out with balloons, decorations, and even a pinata!
Who could be mad at that?
Lauren Holly’s Sudden Cast Change
You’d think that after 48 episodes of playing Director Jenny Shepard, Lauren’s role on the show would have been set in stone from the beginning, but producers initially had other ideas.
She had first auditioned for the part of Kate but that didn’t seem like the right fit for her, so they offered her the part of Shepard. She left the series however in 2008, so perhaps the show in general just wasn’t the right fit for her.
The Mark Harmon Mustache
Okay, this is going to be the last one. Before season 4, producers had it in their head that Harmon’s character should look a little gruffer, so they instructed him to stop shaving, and voila his famous mustache was born! Of course, fans of the show know that the facial hair would only last for a few episodes, but we want to know what you think about the look. Do you prefer Agent Gibbs to be clean-shaven or do you prefer the 70s porn star look? Let us know what you think in the comments section. And don’t forget to like this video and subscribe to the channel before you go. Tap the bell icon to turn on notifications so you can keep up with all of our latest facts-tastic videos.
