One of the most iconic NCIS actors is Mark Harmon and his portrayal of Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
Mark portrayed Gibbs on the hit procedural show for 19 seasons before leaving in 2021. Gibbs is so loved by fans that a younger version of the star, played by Austin Stowell, stars in a spin-off show, NCIS: Origins.
Mark wasn’t the first choice for the role, as ex-head of CBS casting Peter Golden shared that Mark’s name only came up after other candidates were considered. Here’s a few of the celebrities who were considered until we got the character of Gibbs that we know and love.
Scott Glenn was the first actor who the team went after to play either the role of Gibbs or medical examiner Donald “Ducky” Mallard, the latter of which went to David McCallum. Casting director Susan Bluestein told the Hollywood Reporter: “There was a lot of discussion about Scott Glenn, and ultimately Scott Glenn passed. And other people passed for Gibbs.”
Indiana Jones actor and A-lister Harrison Ford was a long-shot for the role of Gibbs, but that didn’t mean the creators of NCIS didn’t have high hopes. The former head of CBS casting, Peter Golden, knew it wasn’t going to happen.
“When you sit down, and you have an initial conversation about casting, no name is off the table,” Peter said, “Back in the early 2000s, the Harrison Fords of the world [rarely did TV]. But that didn’t mean you didn’t put them on the list.”
