Mark Harmon ends 'NCIS' hiatus, returns as Special Agent Leroy

Beloved NCIS star Mark Harmon will yet again reprise his role as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs for the upcoming spin-off NCIS: Origins.

NCIS: Origins will follow the background story of Harmon’s character Leroy, with Austin Stowell playing the younger version of the protagonist.

Harmon is set to appear for a cameo in the pilot of the show, as well as narrate the events occurring in 1991. The actor is also executive producing the series alongside his son Sean.

In 2003, the 73-year-old icon joined NCIS and took on the character of the Marine Corps scout sniper-turned-special agent who’s tasked with leading a team for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).

After 437 episodes of NCIS, Harmon left the show in season 19. Last year, the actor opened up about the reason he left during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2023: "For the longest time, I was just tired," he said.

He continued: "Part of taking the job [was] being home — with a young family — not traveling as much doing movies. [But] the first day, we worked 22 hours. So I thought, 'That's not exactly what I thought this was going to be.' But we had a lot of days like that in the first four years."

However, Harmons has reprised the role for cameos in NCIS spin-offs and will next be seen in NCIS: Origins pilot on Monday, October 14, on CBS.