Summary

Mark Harmon's iconic role as Gibbs on NCIS elevated his lasting TV career.
Harmon's other compelling role as Simon Donovan on The West Wing showcased his diverse talent.
Fans can enjoy Harmon's performance in The West Wing season 3 now available on HBO Max.

Mark Harmon played Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS seasons 1 to 19, and it's impossible to imagine the CBS procedural without this singular character. While Harmon sadly didn't come back to NCIS in a recent season 22 episode, a character had a dream about Gibbs, which was the next best thing. Gibbs manages to be gruff and caring, often in the same scene, and nothing gets by him. It's also fun seeing him as a wise mentor figure to the show's other popular and clever characters.

Harmon has had a long career, and although viewers will always associate him with his NCIS Special Agent, he has taken on some other compelling characters. There's one role in particular that fans will want to check out.

'That's Television, Right?' Mark Harmon Shared The Early Idea For NCIS & I'm Wondering How That Would Have Worked

Mark Harmon, who played Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS for almost 19 seasons, discussed an early NCIS premise, and it's fascinating to hear about.

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By Aya Tsintziras

Mark Harmon Played Simon Donovan On The West Wing Season 3

Mark Harmon and Allison Janney on The West Wing

Mark Harmon starred in The West Wing season 3 as a Secret Service agent named Simon Donovan. Simon has one thing in common with Harmon's NCIS character Leroy Gibbs: a military background. Gibbs was in the Marine Corps, and Simon was in the Army. Simon also received a college military scholarship.

Harmon played Simon in four episodes of The West Wing season 3, which aired in 2002, and in 2003, he began his successful run on NCIS. The actor stayed on the CBS procedural until he left in NCIS season 19, which aired in 2021. While fans wish Harmon would return to the show, it's fun to go back and see some of the memorable roles he played earlier in his career. Both Simon and Gibbs are tough, confident, and direct characters who don't suffer fools and who don't hesitate to spring into action when necessary. After watching the actor take on Gibbs for so many years, it's easy to see why he was cast on the political drama.

Harmon mostly shared scenes with Allison Janney, who played press secretary C.J. Cregg, as Simon was assigned to protect her. Since C.J. Is one of the strongest characters on the TV drama, she holds her own with every character, including the Secret Service agent. It's fun seeing Simon and C.J.'s dynamic.

In 2023, Mark Harmon appeared on The View and, according to Monsters and Critics, he talked about his time on The West Wing and sounded positive about it. He also praised Janney. Harmon said:

“With Aaron Sorkin, great words, and he comes at you with kind of an idea, ‘Hey look, we’ve got a detail, it’s a serious threat, don’t know much more than that, you wanna do it?’ And then you show up on set and you have 17 pages of dialogue and your working with Allison Janney, who never makes a mistake. Ever."

Harmon also discussed his West Wing character in a 2011 interview with The AV Club. He said he had been asked about portraying a journalist on the political TV series, but that didn't work out, and he was given Simon instead. He praised Janney's acting talent again and said he only got a small amount of information about the role. He was told:

"This guy’s a Secret Service agent, he’s investigating a real threat to C.J., and we don’t know where this is headed."

Mark Harmon Fans Can Watch The West Wing On Max

Martin Sheen and Dule Hill on The West Wing

The West Wing seasons 1 through 7 are streaming on Max, and while Mark Harmon is only in season 3, there are plenty of other excellent performances to appreciate. If fans are already watching Ellie's memorable story in The Last of Us season 2 on Max, they can also catch up on Aaron Sorkin's political drama.

As Harmon said on The View, Allison Janney's turn as press secretary C.J. Cregg is particularly great. She's intelligent, committed to her career, and compassionate. After The West Wing ended in 2006, Janney took on several TV roles, including voicing Charlene Doofenshmirtz in a few episodes of Phineas and Ferb and playing Grace Penn on the Netflix series about spies called The Diplomat. She is best known for her movie roles, from Ms. Perky in 10 Things I Hate About You LaVona Golden in I, Tonya.