Mark Harmon may have stepped away from NCIS four years ago, but his legacy as Leroy Jethro Gibbs remains firmly intact. After nearly two decades in the role — beginning with Gibbs’ debut on JAG in 2003 — Harmon exited in 2021 during Season 19. His final episode saw Gibbs choosing a quiet life in Alaska after solving his last case, a farewell crafted to leave the door open for future returns.
Harmon later explained that the timing felt right. After years of grueling 20+ hour filming days and carrying the series as its lead, he admitted he was exhausted and ready for a change. He praised the writers for giving Gibbs a “honest” ending, while colleagues recalled how emotional his final day on set truly was.
Since leaving, Harmon has stayed busy — publishing Ghosts of Honolulu, returning to film in Freakier Friday, and remaining deeply connected to the NCIS universe as narrator and executive producer of NCIS: Origins. The prequel follows a young Gibbs in 1991, played by Austin Stowell.
And fans will see Harmon again: he’s set to appear in the first-ever NCIS/NCIS: Origins crossover event, proving that while he stepped back from the main series, Gibbs is never truly gone.
