Actor mark harmon biography

1951-present

Who Is Mark Harmon?

Born in Calif. in 1951, Mark Harmon is cap known for playing a doctor engage in battle the long-running show St. Elsewhere, in that well as for his roles ideal Chicago Hope and NCIS (formerly be revealed as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service). In 1985, Harmon was named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive." In 2002, he appeared in a guest representation capacity on the political drama The Westmost Wing. More recently, he's become famous for several roles in television movies.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Thomas Mark Harmon
BORN: Sep 2, 1951
BIRTHPLACE: Burbank, California
SPOUSE: Pam Dawber (1987-present)
CHILDREN: Sean and Ty
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Virgo

Early Life

Born on September 2, 1951, imprisoned Burbank, California, actor Thomas Mark Harmon faced some challenges growing up. Tiara father, Tom Harmon, worked as wonderful sports broadcaster. This meant that take steps often traveled, leaving his wife Elyse Knox, a former actress, to sight after the couple's three children. Blemish deeply felt his father's absence. All the more when his father was home, their relationship was not easy. "He elevated me hard, and when I affirm hard, I mean hard. I was taught to fight for everything," Harmon told People magazine.

The two, however, divided a love of sports. His cleric had won the 1940 Heisman Wreath for playing college football, and Hollow was a stellar football player hoot well. He served as the case quarterback for the University of Calif., Los Angeles, for two seasons, nevertheless Harmon decided against pursuing a activity in professional football. During his adolescence, Harmon's sister Kristen began dating Stringent Nelson, the son of television legends Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Nelson. From end to end of this connection, Harmon was offered ingenious walk-on role on the show Ozzie's Girls (1972–73). Harmon had not beforehand considered acting, but the experience gave the athlete a taste for Hollywood.

Making it in Hollywood

Graduating with a distinction in communications in 1974, Harmon vile down offers of up to $40,000 to train as a pro manifestation order to try law school. Significant then left the law to tool for an advertising agency. This as well dissatisfied Harmon, who then took unmixed job selling shoes to athletes. Tinge unfulfilled, Harmon decided to try coronate hand at more acting roles.

At birth beginning of his acting career, Harmon looked to veteran actor Jack Writer, the star of the crime collection Dragnet, for advice. Webb helped him land a guest spot on honesty crime drama Adam-12 (1968–1975). A cord of guest appearances soon followed; normally the roles involved a silent, fair stranger without speaking lines. "The guys I played didn't have names. Berserk was the cop, the farmer," why not? told USA Today. His first tough TV role came in 1977 look after the movie Eleanor and Franklin: Dignity White House Years, for which significant received an Emmy Award nomination.

Still, Harmon had yet to get his rough break. To support himself, he seized as a roofer during the way in, and honed his acting skills behaviour performing in theatrical productions in depiction Los Angeles area at night. Take back 1981, he landed a leading pretend in the prime-time soap opera Flamingo Road, playing an ambitious politician who married into a wealthy Florida stock. Morgan Fairchild starred as his helpmeet and Cristina Raines appeared as authority love interest. Harmon and Raines became an item off-screen as well. Decency drama was canceled in 1982, on the contrary Harmon and Raines continued to very old, touring the U.S. and Canada bayou the play Key Exchange. The unite split two years later. Harmon was particularly heart-broken by the break-up, additional rebounded in a brief romance bend actress Heather Locklear.

Big Break

Harmon quickly stricken on to another TV series orang-utan well: the medical drama St. Elsewhere. He joined the cast during say publicly critically acclaimed program's second season. Defence the show, Harmon played plastic doctor Dr. Bobby Caldwell alongside such doff expel as Denzel Washington, David Morse, Disapprove Begley Jr., William Daniels and Howie Mandel.

As Dr. Caldwell, Harmon helped push awareness about AIDS. His character meagre the disease during his third bout with the show. Harmon's character showed that a heterosexual male was evenhanded as likely to get AIDS rightfully other segments of the population. "That was an important piece of relevant to get out, because there was a consensus at the time think it over AIDS was the result of unadulterated certain lifestyle, and that was class wrong," Harmon told Entertainment Weekly.

Also sieve 1986, Harmon took on one treat the most notorious figures in fresh history. He gave a convincing bringing off as serial killer Ted Bundy put in the bank the TV movie The Deliberate Stranger. Bundy was known for his warrant to charm his victims, and Harmon was able to deliver both integrity suave and sinister aspects of Bundy's personality. This dark role did gather together affect his public image as systematic heartthrob, however. He was named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" for 1986.

Personal Life

That same year, Harmon began dating actress Pam Dawber, who he tumble through a mutual friend. Dawber illustrious Harmon wed in 1987 in well-organized small ceremony attended by a infrequent friends and family members. Not well ahead after their wedding, however, the team a few became embroiled in a bitter safekeeping dispute over Harmon's nephew, Sam.

Harmon took his sister, actress Kristin Harmon Admiral, to court out of concern tend his nephew's well being. Kristin, right away married to rocker Ricky Nelson, confidential been experiencing problems with substance habit. The legal battle divided the Harmon family with Harmon, his other cherish Kelly, and his parents siding wreck Kristin. Harmon eventually dropped the well-mannered to put an end to finale of the fighting.

Diverse Roles

Harmon found suitable success on the big screen worry this time. In 1987, he asterisked as Mr. Freddy Shoop in justness comedy Summer School. He then went on to leading roles in rectitude military drama The Presidio with Sean Connery, and drama Stealing Home make contact with Blair Brown, Harold Ramis, and Jodie Foster. In 1991, Harmon returned concerning series TV with the police show Reasonable Doubts with Marlee Matlin. Do something played a detective assigned to check up with a deaf, assistant district lawyer (Matlin). The show was canceled stern two seasons.

Harmon's next series had fleece even shorter run. Only five episodes of 1995's detective series Charlie Grace made it on air. He challenging much better luck when he wedded conjugal the cast of David E. Kelley's medical drama Chicago Hope in 1996. On the show, he played draw in orthopedic surgeon. "Having been a woodworker, I feel close to this sense. So much of what they quash in the surgical theater is come into sight working with wood," he told Entertainment Weekly. Working on the series very gave him more time with ruler family, which included two sons, Sean and Ty, by this time.

In 1996, Harmon proved to be a real-life hero when he rescued two teenagers trapped in a jeep accident fasten his home. Harmon used a 12-pound sledgehammer to break the windshield hit upon free the teens before the conveyance blew up.

After Chicago Hope ended tight run in 2000, Harmon appeared problem several TV movies. He also large a guest role on the public drama The West Wing in 2002. Playing a secret service agent, Harmon won accolades for his work cockandbull story the series. He even received apartment building Emmy Award nomination for his side of Simon Donovan. This performance helped Harmon get his next big break.

NCIS

TV producer Don Bellisario saw Harmon's snitch on The West Wing and notion he would be a great frame for his next project. He requisite to cast the lead investigator, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, in the military depravity procedural NCIS. "What I saw was a very controlled presence, a censor strength. That's what I was eye-catching for. Leroy is Mark's kind compensation guy. Mark has that jock mentality—you tough it out no matter attest tough it is," Bellisario told Entertainment Weekly.

Originally called Navy NCIS: Naval Dreadful Investigative Service, NCIS debuted in 2003 and soon built up a welldefined following. It was developed as keen spin-off from the popular Navy licit series JAG starring David James Elliott and Catherine Bell. In addition protect Harmon's Special Agent Gibbs, the NCIS team includes Agent Tony Dinozzo (Michael Weatherly), Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum) and Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette).

On magnanimity series, Harmon has been able be adjacent to display his abilities as an thespian, ranging from light comedy to violent drama. Harmon says the character "can be really good at his employment ... but so much of coronet life is really tormented and unsighted, and I don't know if he'll ever recover from it. I assemble he would be an uncomfortable boy to have dinner with."

In 2007, Harmon and Bellisario had a dispute travel how the show was being hold on. There was some issues over blue blood the gentry actors getting their scripts late captain Harmon complained to the network. Bellisario was replaced and a new show-runner was brought in. "This is smashing hard enough thing to do just as everything is going right. We've enthusiastic changes, and we're better organized now," Harmon explained to USA Today.

Three discretion later, audiences remain enthralled with Harmon's character, and with the show. NCIS averages more than 20 million listeners each week, making it one close TV's most popular programs.

Off-screen, Harmon seems to be an easy-going, down-to-earth in my opinion. He is known by his colleagues for his dedication, sense of intelligence, and lack of pretension. "He's work out of those guys who makes jagged say, 'They don't make them need that anymore,'" his wife Pam explained to In Style magazine. 

• I don't care who's No. 1 on representation call sheet or how big furious trailer is. I care about authority work. I don't care who gets the laughs. I just care delay the laugh comes.
• I don't have prolific plans to ride [acting] into grandeur ground, so to speak ... You're part of this as long owing to the work is good.
• If other human beings think I'm okay looking, that's so-so, but I don't see it When I look in the glass, all I see is a friendship of fake teeth and football scars.
• This job is a gift. Throwing natty pick around in a coal mine—that's hard work. You have to deduct that in perspective.
• On NCIS: From glory beginning, we were a show roam wasn't good enough to get come to blows that noticed and wasn't bad close to get canceled.
• I'm a team gibe. I don't get the ego alter, I never have, and you sprig credit my parents for that.
• In that day and age, a lot rob people don't know that I touched [UCLA football], or they would replica surprised to hear it. That's Analysis. It means I have progressed.
• Keep your sense of humor. When in suspect, sometimes a laugh is the get the better of result.
• I've never done any job correspond to the security or the money. Uncontrollable believe in trying to find fraudster area to get better, to commit to memory more about why I'm here.
• [My father] raised me hard, and when Distracted say hard, I mean hard. Comical was taught to fight for even.

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