Mark Harmon’s only request before his final ‘NCIS’ episode was for it not to be dramatic

Earlier this year, Mark Harmon abruptly quit NCIS after an incredible 423 episodes. Fans were upset when Leroy Jethro Gibbs left the program after his final episode aired in mid-October.

Although Harmon has kept the possibility of a future comeback open, it is yet unknown what lies ahead for him. He wants to spend more time with his family right now because they were unintentionally the reason he was hired by NCIS in the first place.

New information on Mark Harmon’s departure from NCIS has now surfaced, including a very specific request he made prior to his final episode.

“That changed my course,” he said. Harmon made the choice to forgo his aspiration of being a professional football player in favor of a career in acting.

The ambitious actor returned to school while several of his friends went on to play professionally and made more money in a year than he did in the following 15 put together, according to Harmon.

After taking acting classes, he quickly got his first movie and television parts. He even had the opportunity to work with performers like Michael Caine and Jaso Robards, who later served as his mentors.

“They were all humble; they all gave me valuable time and camaraderie and advice,” he recalled.

After appearing in shows like 240 Robert, Flamingo Road, and The Love Boat on occasion, Mark finally landed his big break when he was made a series regular on the drama St. Elsewhere.

As more producers became aware of Mark’s exceptional acting abilities, he received additional work. Then, after working in the industry for around 15 to 20 years, it all got a little too much. At that point, Harmon made a choice that forever altered his life.