Mark Harmon Eyeing Return to Hit Show 'NCIS,' Costar Wilmer Valderrama Annoyed as He's 'Finally the Main Star'
July 22 2023, Published 9:00 a.m. ET
Will Mark Harmon make a return to NCIS in the future?
Though the actor, 71, left the door open for his character, Special Agent Gibbs, to make an appearance, an insider revealed he's considering coming back two years later — something his costar Wilmer Valderrama is less than thrilled about.
“Mark’s been teasing a return to the show and everyone wanted him back,” an insider dished. “He’s still on the fence when it comes to going back to the grind. People wish he would stop getting them excited only to let them down.”
Meanwhile, Valderrama, 43, would love for Harmon to stick with his executive producing duties.
“Wilmer has nothing personal against Mark, but he wouldn’t mind if he never came back,” added the insider. “This has been Wilmer’s time to shine and he feels like he’s finally a main star, not a supporting player.”
In August 2022, Harmon spoke out about why he wanted to move on to other ventures.
"What has always drawn me here is the character I play and to keep it fresh and to keep it challenging," he said in a special featurette on the show's season 19 DVD release, per Entertainment Tonight. "Plot-wise, this character has taken the path that it did. I thought it was honest and OK with."
The California native insisted that his character isn't retired and just "living in Alaska as far as I know."
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Executive producer and showrunner Steven D. Binder made it clear that Harmon is always welcome to come back.
“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," Binder said in a statement to ET. "So regarding the future of Gibbs, as longtime fans of the show may have noticed over the years… never count Leroy Jethro Gibbs out.”
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Star spoke with the insider.