Mark Harmon Reveals a 'Cold Call' Led to His First Date With Wife Pam Dawber

Mark Harmon had no problem taking matters into his own hands when it came to love.

In a new interview, the actor explained that at first, a mutual friend planned to introduce him and now wife Pam Dawber by going on a group date — but that idea didn't sit well with the dad-of-two.

"I said, 'Can I just call? Can I get a number and just cold call?' And so I did," the 72-year-old shared. "I got the number, and I called, and I got an answering machine. And I started to leave a message that said, ‘We don't have to all go out. We could get a cup of coffee or something.’ And then she was monitoring and she picked up."

"We went out that night and we're together ever since," he added.

Exactly one year after their coffee date, the two got hitched.

The pair welcomed two children are still going strong since their 1987 nuptials, something a friend credited to the TV star's humble nature.

"Mark could have ‘gone Hollywood,’" a friend of the NCIS lead dished to a news outlet. "He certainly had enough opportunities."

"Pam and Mark have a deep affection for one another that’s grown over time," the source added of how they maintained a lasting bond.

It also helped that Dawber, 72, took a step back from the spotlight to focus on raising their children.

"I don’t think two people can work all the time in show business and stay married," the Mork and Mindy alum explained in a previous interview. "I did everything you can do in this business, and then I had children and it’s like, ‘I’m not going to chase this fame thing.’"

Harmon admitted that balancing his work with home life took a toll on him emotionally.

"Our oldest had just taken his first steps the day I left [for a shoot]," he said. "I came back three months later and he got out of the car by himself and walked up the sidewalk and grabbed onto my leg at the airport."

Just two years ago, the Freaky Friday actor finally said goodbye to NCIS, a gig he held since 2003.

“Coming in at 6:30 a.m., five days a week, and being the major character that was the linchpin — that’s pretty tough, and he did it for 18 seasons,” executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson noted of Harmon in another interview. “He had just gotten to the place where he was getting close to turning 70, and he wanted to spend time with [wife] Pam and his kids."

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"So he was leading up to it. It started probably [with him dropping hints] around the 15th or 16th season," Johnson said of the actor's departure. "But he was so loyal to that crew and so supportive of the show. He was very proud of it, and he stayed on longer than he even intended."

People spoke with Harmon about the first time he called his wife.