Since 2003, NCIS has been a fixture on our television screens. The majority of NCIS fans can’t imagine the show without Mark Harmon, but he has some thoughts on the subject. Harmon once stated that he could see the series continuing without him.
Here’s what he had to say about his future on the hit CBS show.
How could ‘NCIS’ continue without Gibbs?
How could NCIS continue to work with Gibbs? Timothy McGee (Shaun Murray) would be the best choice to take over. He began as a probationary NCIS Agent and rose through the ranks to Senior Field Agent.
Whenever Gibbs has to leave the office, he usually delegated responsibility for the current case to McGee. It’s possible that Gibbs is grooming McGee to take over.
Mark Harmon notices that ‘NCIS’ is going on without him.
Harmon discussed the possibility of Gibbs being replaced at some point in the series in a 2010 interview with French media company Télé-Loisirs.
He even stated that he could see Gibbs getting into his boat and sailing away one day.
“I’ve always thought that part of [Gibbs’] manner in dealing with his team is to prepare them for a time when he’s not here,” Harmon says. “So, I could see a time in the future when they take over the job and move on, and Gibbs gets on his boat and sails away.”
Harmon went on to say that Gibbs does not have to be in charge. “[Gibbs] is the team’s senior field agent,” Harmon adds. “That doesn’t mean he’d be in charge.”
It doesn’t rule out the possibility that someone else is in charge. The team is currently well-balanced. Everyone does something well, and they do things very well together.”
According to Mark Harmon, anyone can be replaced.
Harmon stated in a 2015 interview with James Corden that actors leaving is a normal part of working on a television show. It’s part of the territory. When a show has been on the air for as long as NCIS has, some characters are bound to leave. Harmon tells Corden that anyone can be replaced. He appeared to be speaking about himself rather than his co-stars.
“I think anyone on the show is replaceable,” Harmon says. “The truth is that this show has always birthed characters who leave. It’s not my choice, but I believe that anyone can be replaced.”
Mark Harmon’s wife responds to rumors about his departure from ‘NCIS.’
Harmon’s departure from NCIS has been rumored for years. However, the rumors resurfaced after his wife, Pam Dawber, appeared as a guest star on the show. During season 18, she portrayed reporter Marcie Warren in four episodes. Some fans assumed Dawber’s appearance meant Harmon’s time on the show was coming to an end.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Dawber stated that Harmon has no immediate plans to leave. She claims that her appearance does not imply that he is leaving. “It has nothing to do with anything,” Dawber says. “This is just a good plot. I’m not going to tip my hat to anyone, but they don’t think that way over there. A good storyline is a good storyline, and to be honest, we have no idea how it will end.”