For 19 seasons on NCIS, Leroy Jethro Gibbs was the ultimate rock: unshakable in the field, steady in interrogation rooms, and legendary for his “rules” and no-nonsense style. Mark Harmon’s performance turned Gibbs into one of TV’s most iconic team leaders — a man who could stare down criminals without so much as a blink. But as it turns out, even Gibbs had his breaking point. And it came not during a high-stakes takedown, but in the middle of a Season 7 prank.
The Setup: A Classic Gibbs Entrance
The scene in question took place during an interrogation with Michael Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo and Cote de Pablo’s Ziva David. The script was simple: Gibbs was supposed to stride in, drop a folder on the table, and deliver one of his trademark razor-sharp lines to intimidate the suspect. The kind of no-frills, spine-chilling Gibbs moment fans loved.
But Michael Weatherly — the king of on-set pranks — had other plans.
The Goldfish Sticker That Broke Gibbs
Just before Harmon’s cue, Weatherly quietly slipped a tiny goldfish sticker onto the folder. It was an inside joke among the cast, a reference to Gibbs’ well-known love of building boats in his basement — and the running gag that if he ever got a pet, it would probably be a goldfish.
The cameras rolled. Harmon walked in, folder in hand, ready to snap into Gibbs mode. But the moment his eyes landed on that little goldfish, his famously stoic expression cracked.
He tried again. And again. And again.
By the third attempt, Harmon burst into full-on laughter, his composure completely gone. The crew followed suit, with de Pablo reportedly laughing so hard she had to cover her face to avoid ruining the shot. The simple scene ended up taking over an hour to film.
“The First Time Mark Lost It”
“That was the first time I ever saw Mark lose it like that,” a longtime crew member recalled. “He was usually unflappable — the one who kept everyone focused. But Michael got him good that day.”
The infamous take never made it to air, of course. On-screen, Gibbs delivered his line with the ice-cold authority fans expected. But behind the scenes, the blooper instantly became part of NCIS legend.
The Prank That Lived On
And Weatherly wasn’t done. According to insiders, the goldfish sticker kept mysteriously popping up on random props in Gibbs’ scenes for weeks afterward — on coffee cups, clipboards, and even the back of his NCIS badge. It became a running reminder that even the most stone-faced special agent wasn’t immune to a perfectly timed joke.
A Rare Glimpse Behind the Gibbs Mask
For fans, the story is more than just a funny blooper — it’s a rare peek at the man behind Gibbs. Mark Harmon was known on set for his professionalism and quiet leadership, but this moment proved he could laugh just as hard as the rest of the cast.
And maybe that’s why the memory of the “goldfish sticker incident” continues to circulate among NCIS insiders all these years later: it was the day Gibbs wasn’t Gibbs at all, but just Mark — laughing until he cried.
