Photo: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic
Mark Harmonis addressinghis exitfromNCISlast fall after starring on the CBS series for 19 seasons.
“What has always drawn me here is the character I play and to keep it fresh and to keep it challenging,” Harmon said in a special featurette on the show’s season 19 DVD release, perEntertainment Tonight. “Plot-wise, this character has taken the path that it did. I thought it was honest and OK with.”
Harmon— who starred on the series since its premiere in 2003 — also shared that he believed that his beloved character is “not retired,” adding, “The character is living in Alaska as far as I know.”
In Harmon’s finalNCISepisode, his character said he did not plan to return home from Alaska.
“I’m not going back, Tim,” he told Special Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) while fishing. “I’m not going back home.”
Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty
Gibbs then tells McGee that he “could not have hoped for anyone better” to work with over the past 18 years before the partners hugged, closing out the scene.
“As an executive producer and dear friend, Mark continues to be an integral part of the fabric of the show. Our north star has always been staying true to our characters, and that truth has always guided the stories we tell and where those characters go,” he told PEOPLE in a statement. “So regarding the future of Gibbs, as long-time fans of the show may have noticed over the years…never count Leroy Jethro Gibbs out.”
“Mark’s always been part of the show, Mark’s always going to be part of the show,” CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl toldDeadlinein September 2021. “In terms of his on-air appearances, we’re just going to have to see how it plays out going forward.”
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NCIS: The Nineteenth Seasonis out on DVD on Tuesday.NCISwill return to CBS for its 20th season on Sept. 19.
source: people.com
