Since 2003, Mark Harmon has starred as Leroy Jethro Gibbs on the CBS series NCIS.  Though he hasn't won an award for his playing the Special Agent, unlike his work on The West Wing, Reasonable Doubts, and Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years where he earned numerous awards and nominations, the 56-year-old actor remains to be an integral part of the police procedural drama.

With the rapid emergence of reality shows, many scripted programs have been put to the backburner.  But that doesn't seem to be a threat to NCIS, which has consistently surged in the ratings while remaining impervious to tough reality competition including FOX's mega-hit American Idol.

On the other hand, being on a scripted series may often impede an actor's growth as there are creative limitations as far as dialogue and storylines are concerned.  Nevertheless, Harmon doesn't seem to be the type of actor who feels shackled by these creative boundaries.

“I think you just have to be fine with wherever and whatever you are.  I'm on a successful series [NCIS].  What matters, what's nice and gratifying, is that people are watching us.  It's funny, I was once on a show where if you changed one word the writers would come after you and tell you they could find any actor to say those same words.  And this was a show heralded as really good television,” Harmon told The Hollywood Reporter.

Meanwhile, Harmon hasn't completely abandoned the silver screen.  In addition to filming new episodes of NCIS, he is also working on his upcoming movie called Weather Girl, a comedy about a weather girl who is fired after freaking out on air upon learning that her boyfriend has cheated on her. In addition to Harmon, the movie also stars Jane Lynch, Jon Cryer, Enrico Colantoni, Melinda McGraw, Blair Underwood, and Kaitlin Olson, just to name a few.


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
(Image courtesy of CBS)