Mark Harmon is one of those actors whose character might just be more famous than the actor himself. Harmon got the role of a lifetime as Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS – and it made him one of the most famous faces in the world.
But behind the scenes, Mark Harmon has faced his share of hardships, and his sister’s tragic death in 2018 was a huge blow for the actor and his family.
Mark Harmon has been in the entertainment industry his entire adult life. Though he’s had a long and storied career, the last 20 years have been almost entirely focused on his role as Leroy Jethro Gibbs on the hit television show NCIS, for which he’s been nominated for Emmys and other awards.
In just a matter of years during his youth, Harmon transformed from football hunk to a great actor. At the same time, he’s been very quiet about his private life, always putting his family first.
Mark’s father, Tom Harmon, was an All-American football player who won the 1940 Heisman Trophy. He was even the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft in 1941. But the older Harmon gave up his football career to become a fighter pilot in the second World War. After the war, he found a career in TV sports. Harmon’s mother, Elyse Knox, was an actress. Harmon also grew up with two sisters , Kristin and Kelly.
Both of his sisters pursued careers in the entertainment industry: Kelly became a model and actress, and Kristin worked both an actress and a painter.