Mark Harmon’s iconic role as Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS cemented his lasting TV career. But before he became the unforgettable NCIS Special Agent, Harmon delivered another compelling performance as Simon Donovan in Season 3 of The West Wing, showcasing his diverse talent.
While fans will probably always associate Harmon with his NCIS character across 19 seasons, he’s taken on some other captivating roles. There’s one in particular that fans who miss Gibbs will definitely want to check out.
Mark Harmon Played Simon Donovan on The West Wing Season 3
In Season 3 of The West Wing, Mark Harmon starred as Simon Donovan, a Secret Service agent. Simon shares one key similarity with Harmon’s NCIS character, Leroy Gibbs: a military background. Gibbs was in the Marine Corps, and Simon was in the Army, even receiving a college military scholarship.
Harmon appeared in four episodes of The West Wing Season 3, which aired in 2002. In 2003, he began his successful run on NCIS, staying with the CBS procedural until his departure in NCIS Season 19 (which aired in 2021). While fans often wish Harmon would return to NCIS, it’s fun to revisit some of the memorable roles he played earlier in his career. Both Simon and Gibbs are tough, confident, and direct characters who don’t suffer fools and aren’t afraid to jump into action when necessary. After watching the actor embody Gibbs for so many years, it’s easy to see why he was cast in the political drama.
In The West Wing, Harmon primarily shared scenes with Allison Janney, who played White House Press Secretary C.J. Cregg, as Simon was assigned to protect her. Since C.J. is one of the strongest characters on the show, she holds her own with everyone, including the no-nonsense Secret Service agent. The dynamic between Simon and C.J. is definitely enjoyable to watch.
In 2023, Mark Harmon appeared on The View and spoke positively about his time on The West Wing, also praising Allison Janney. Harmon said, “With Aaron Sorkin, great words, and he comes at you with kind of an idea, ‘Hey look, we’ve got a detail, it’s a serious threat, don’t know much more than that, you wanna do it?’ And then you show up on set and you have 17 pages of dialogue and 1 you’re working with Allison Janney, who never makes a mistake. Ever.”
Harmon also discussed his West Wing character in a 2011 interview with The AV Club. He mentioned being initially considered for a journalist role on the political TV series, but that didn’t pan out, and he was offered the role of Simon instead. He again praised Janney’s acting talent and noted that he only received a small amount of information about the part: “This guy’s a Secret Service agent, he’s investigating a real threat to C.J., and we don’t know where this is headed.”
Mark Harmon Fans Can Watch The West Wing On Max
All seven seasons of The West Wing are currently streaming on Max. While Mark Harmon is only in Season 3, there are plenty of other excellent performances to appreciate. If fans are already watching Ellie’s memorable story in The Last of Us Season 2 on Max, they can also catch up on Aaron Sorkin’s compelling political drama.
As Harmon mentioned on The View, Allison Janney’s portrayal of White House Press Secretary C.J. Cregg is particularly outstanding. She’s intelligent, dedicated to her career, and compassionate. After The West Wing concluded in 2006, Janney took on various TV roles, including voicing Charlene Doofenshmirtz in episodes of Phineas and Ferb and playing Grace Penn in the Netflix spy series The Diplomat. However, she’s perhaps best known for her movie roles, from Ms. Perky in 10 Things I Hate About You to LaVona Golden in I, Tonya.
