Mark Harmon saw his NCIS exit coming long before fans did. Two years before leaving, he hinted that his time as Gibbs wouldn’t last forever. And when the moment arrived, it felt more like a well-placed clue than a shocking twist. After nearly two decades leading the hit procedural, Harmon had already made peace with the inevitable.
But was his departure always the plan, or was there more to the story? Turns out, his exit was set in motion long before he ever stepped off-screen.
Mark Harmon saw it coming: His 2019 words foreshadowed his NCIS exit in 2021
Mark Harmon saw it coming. Even before his departure from NCIS in 2021, the longtime star had hinted at his eventual exit — two years earlier. Back in 2019, Harmon admitted he understood the nature of television (via People):
Nothing goes on forever, but you’ve got to respect what this show is doing, 16 years in, and how it’s doing it, and the people who are there punching in every morning and building what this is…There’s a tremendous about of pride there, so I see no reason to leave.
At the time, he wasn’t planning to walk away. With NCIS still thriving in its 16th season, he saw no reason to leave. He alluded,
We’re doing better ratings this year than last, which for a show of this age is sort of remarkable…I’ve been around long enough to know what this is…That commitment is part of what I signed up for; I know when this show ends that’s it — there won’t be anything else like this for me.
But he also made it clear: if the writers ever ran out of ideas, it’d be time to call it a day. Harmon, who played Leroy Jethro Gibbs for nearly two decades, never took his NCIS run for granted. He knew the commitment that came with it and appreciated the rare longevity.
The show, a ratings powerhouse, only grew stronger over the years, spawning multiple spin-offs and securing its place in TV history. Still, Harmon knew the reality.
Though he once saw no reason to leave, the moment eventually came. Two years later, Harmon said his goodbyes to NCIS. His 2019 words? They aged like a perfect TV plot twist.
Mark Harmon nearly quit NCIS after season 4 due to behind-the-scenes drama
Mark Harmon nearly walked away from NCIS after just four seasons. The reason? A behind-the-scenes clash with the show’s co-creator and original showrunner, Donald Bellisario.
According to reports, Bellisario’s last-minute script changes and micromanagement frustrated Harmon, who was already working grueling 16-hour days. An insider revealed (via TVGuide),
Mark’s been working every single day, 16 hours a day. Don tries to micro-manage everything. Script pages get faxed to the set at the last minute, and Mark is tired of dealing with the huge impact that makes on his life.
Instead of leaving, Harmon stayed, because Bellisario didn’t. In 2007, the showrunner stepped back, and NCIS moved forward with new leadership. Harmon worked under multiple showrunners after that, but Bellisario was the only one he reportedly clashed with.
Bellisario later admitted the tension ran deep, recalling a moment when Harmon refused to reshoot a scene and never spoke to me again. Gibbs played by his own rules, and so did the man behind him.
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