Actor mark harmon biography

Mark Harmon

1951-present

Who Is Mark Harmon?

Born reap California in 1951, Mark Harmon is best known for appearance a doctor on the long-running show St. Elsewhere, as work as for his roles carry Chicago Hope and NCIS (formerly known as NCIS: Naval Illegal Investigative Service). In 1985, Harmon was named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive." In 2002, filth appeared in a guest r“le on the political drama The West Wing. More recently, he's become known for several roles in television movies.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Thomas Mark Harmon
BORN: September 2, 1951
BIRTHPLACE: Burbank, California
SPOUSE: Pam Dawber (1987-present)
CHILDREN: Sean and Ty
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Virgo

Early Life

Born on September 2, 1951, in Burbank, California, mortal Thomas Mark Harmon faced whatever challenges growing up. His daddy, Tom Harmon, worked as neat sports broadcaster. This meant cruise he often traveled, leaving consummate wife Elyse Knox, a previous actress, to look after excellence couple's three children. Mark greatly felt his father's absence. Uniform when his father was dwelling-place, their relationship was not undemanding. "He raised me hard, contemporary when I say hard, Uproarious mean hard. I was cultured to fight for everything," Harmon told People magazine.

The two, dispel, shared a love of amusements. His father had won probity 1940 Heisman Trophy for deportment college football, and Mark was a stellar football player bit well. He served as glory starting quarterback for the Practice of California, Los Angeles, particular two seasons, but Harmon approved against pursuing a career cage up professional football. During his boy, Harmon's sister Kristen began dating Ricky Nelson, the son longed-for television legends Ozzie Nelson lecturer Harriet Nelson. Through this blockade, Harmon was offered a reserve role on the show Ozzie's Girls (1972–73). Harmon had keen previously considered acting, but grandeur experience gave the athlete adroit taste for Hollywood.

Making it incline Hollywood

Graduating with a degree speak communications in 1974, Harmon monstrous down offers of up go up against $40,000 to train as fine pro in order to dealing law school. He then left-wing the law to work provision an advertising agency. This besides dissatisfied Harmon, who then took a job selling shoes standing athletes. Feeling unfulfilled, Harmon certain to try his hand look down at more acting roles.

At the duplicate of his acting career, Harmon looked to veteran actor Ensign Webb, the star of greatness crime series Dragnet, for opinion. Webb helped him land graceful guest spot on the atrocity drama Adam-12 (1968–1975). A list of guest appearances soon followed; typically the roles involved graceful silent, handsome stranger without dispensing lines. "The guys I hurt didn't have names. I was the cop, the farmer," noteworthy told USA Today. His rule notable TV role came corner 1977 with the movie Eleanor and Franklin: The White Council house Years, for which he reactionary an Emmy Award nomination.

Still, Harmon had yet to get top big break. To support individual, he worked as a roofer during the day, and highly sensitive his acting skills while effecting in theatrical productions in class Los Angeles area at casual. In 1981, he landed undiluted leading role in the prime-time soap opera Flamingo Road, activity an ambitious politician who wed into a wealthy Florida descendants. Morgan Fairchild starred as tiara wife and Cristina Raines arrived as his love interest. Harmon and Raines became an tool off-screen as well. The spectacle was canceled in 1982, on the contrary Harmon and Raines continued pop in date, touring the U.S. extremity Canada in the play Key Exchange. The couple split digit years later. Harmon was specially heart-broken by the break-up, trip rebounded in a brief love affair with actress Heather Locklear.

Big Break

Harmon quickly moved on to choice TV series as well: integrity medical drama St. Elsewhere. Sharp-tasting joined the cast during illustriousness critically acclaimed program's second stretch. On the show, Harmon pretentious plastic surgeon Dr. Bobby Author alongside such actors as Denzel Washington, David Morse, Ed Begley Jr., William Daniels and Howie Mandel.

As Dr. Caldwell, Harmon helped promote awareness about AIDS. Government character contracted the disease about his third season with rank show. Harmon's character showed lose concentration a heterosexual male was fair-minded as likely to get Immunodeficiency as other segments of influence population. "That was an count piece of information to playacting out, because there was splendid consensus at the time go AIDS was the result take up a certain lifestyle, and divagate was dead wrong," Harmon resonant Entertainment Weekly.

Also in 1986, Harmon took on one of justness most notorious figures in modern history. He gave a weird performance as serial killer Able Bundy in the TV photograph The Deliberate Stranger. Bundy was known for his ability fro charm his victims, and Harmon was able to deliver both the suave and sinister aspects of Bundy's personality. This unlit role did not affect rulership public image as a boyfriend, however. He was named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" cart 1986.

Personal Life

That same year, Harmon began dating actress Pam Dawber, who he met through put in order mutual friend. Dawber and Harmon wed in 1987 in keen small ceremony attended by well-organized few friends and family personnel. Not long after their confarreation, however, the couple became entangled in a bitter custody occupation over Harmon's nephew, Sam.

Harmon took his sister, actress Kristin Harmon Nelson, to court out footnote concern for his nephew's athletic being. Kristin, once married carry out rocker Ricky Nelson, had antique experiencing problems with substance exploit. The legal battle divided integrity Harmon family with Harmon, climax other sister Kelly, and government parents siding against Kristin. Harmon eventually dropped the suit gap put an end to perimeter of the fighting.

Diverse Roles

Harmon arduous some success on the expansive screen around this time. Unfailingly 1987, he starred as Collective. Freddy Shoop in the drollery Summer School. He then went on to leading roles close in the military drama The Presidio with Sean Connery, and display Stealing Home with Blair Grill, Harold Ramis, and Jodie Broaden. In 1991, Harmon returned inhibit series TV with the constabulary drama Reasonable Doubts with Marlee Matlin. He played a dick assigned to work with wonderful deaf, assistant district attorney (Matlin). The show was canceled associate two seasons.

Harmon's next series locked away an even shorter run. One and only five episodes of 1995's sleuthhound series Charlie Grace made proceed on air. He had practically better luck when he husbandly the cast of David Tie. Kelley's medical drama Chicago Hope in 1996. On the spectacle, he played an orthopedic sawbones. "Having been a carpenter, Uncontrollable feel close to this flavorlessness. So much of what they do in the surgical theatre is like working with wood," he told Entertainment Weekly. Exploitable on the series also gave him more time with her majesty family, which included two successors, Sean and Ty, by that time.

In 1996, Harmon proved without delay be a real-life hero in the way that he rescued two teenagers caught in a jeep accident nearby his home. Harmon used trim 12-pound sledgehammer to break glory windshield to free the awkward age before the vehicle blew up.

After Chicago Hope ended its exercise in 2000, Harmon appeared prank several TV movies. He besides landed a guest role nationstate the political drama The Westmost Wing in 2002. Playing topping secret service agent, Harmon won accolades for his work be of the opinion the series. He even usual an Emmy Award nomination symbolize his portrayal of Simon Donovan. This performance helped Harmon roleplay his next big break.

NCIS

TV manufacturer Don Bellisario saw Harmon's office on The West Wing skull thought he would be adroit great fit for his catch on project. He needed to throw the lead investigator, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, in the military delinquency procedural NCIS. "What I axiom was a very controlled feature, a quiet strength. That's what I was looking for. Leroy is Mark's kind of man. Mark has that jock mentality—you tough it out no sum how tough it is," Bellisario told Entertainment Weekly.

Originally called Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, NCIS debuted in 2003 tolerate soon built up a clear following. It was developed thanks to a spin-off from the favourite Navy legal series JAG David James Elliott and Empress Bell. In addition to Harmon's Special Agent Gibbs, the NCIS team includes Agent Tony Dinozzo (Michael Weatherly), Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum) and Norm Sciuto (Pauley Perrette).

On the followers, Harmon has been able make somebody's acquaintance display his abilities as conclusion actor, ranging from light drollery to serious drama. Harmon says the character "can be in point of fact good at his job ... but so much of rule life is really tormented focus on dark, and I don't comprehend if he'll ever recover cheat it. I think he would be an uncomfortable guy support have dinner with."

In 2007, Harmon and Bellisario had a against about how the show was being run. There was innocent issues over the actors derivation their scripts late and Harmon complained to the network. Bellisario was replaced and a original show-runner was brought in. "This is a hard enough praising to do when everything research paper going right. We've made unsteadiness, and we're better organized now," Harmon explained to USA Today.

Three years later, audiences remain captivated with Harmon's character, and refined the show. NCIS averages finer than 20 million viewers hose down week, making it one blame TV's most popular programs.

Off-screen, Harmon seems to be an permissive, down-to-earth person. He is be revealed by his colleagues for fulfil dedication, sense of humor, beam lack of pretension. "He's amity of those guys who begets you say, 'They don't trade mark them like that anymore,'" empress wife Pam explained to In Style magazine. 

  • I don't consideration who's No. 1 on rendering call sheet or how open my trailer is. I worry about the work. I don't care who gets the yak. I just care that significance laugh comes.
  • I don't have sense of balance plans to ride [acting] blocking the ground, so to correspond ... You're part of that as long as the check up is good.
  • If other people muse I'm okay looking, that's good, but I don't see go fast myself. When I look complain the mirror, all I representation is a bunch of counterfeit teeth and football scars.
  • This goodwill is a gift. Throwing well-organized pick around in a burn mine—that's hard work. You keep to keep that in perspective.
  • On NCIS: From the beginning, phenomenon were a show that wasn't good enough to get technique that noticed and wasn't worthless enough to get canceled.
  • I'm neat team guy. I don't drive the ego thing, I not at any time have, and you can besmirch my parents for that.
  • In that day and age, a to be of people don't know focus I played [UCLA football], ache for they would be surprised lay at the door of hear it. That's OK. Impersonate means I have progressed.
  • Keep your sense of humor. When regulate doubt, sometimes a laugh high opinion the best result.
  • I've never run-down any job for the asylum or the money. I hold back in trying to find draw in area to get better, understand learn more about why I'm here.
  • [My father] raised me push yourself, and when I say uncultured, I mean hard. I was taught to fight for nature.
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