Mark Harmon is making an on-screen return to the NCIS universe.
Harmon will guest star in an episode of NCIS: Origins on Nov. 11, reprising his longtime character Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The episode will be part of a crossover with NCIS, following a case that spans the 1990s-set Origins and the present-day setting of the flagship series.
Harmon is an executive producer on both shows and the narrator of Origins. He had a cameo in the prequel’s series premiere — which follows a younger version of the character (played by Austin Stowell) — last year, but the Nov. 11 episode will be Harmon’s first substantial on-camera work as Gibbs since he left NCIS in October 2021.
The crossover will find the younger Gibbs and the NCIS team investigating the death of a naval officer in a small town in the 1990s and the unexpected reopening of the case in the present, which will allow for Harmon’s return as Gibbs.
“Four years ago, Gibbs disappeared to Alaska to live a life of solitude,” NCIS: Origins co-showrunners David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal said in a statement. “We know how much fans have missed seeing Mark and have wondered what Gibbs is up to today. Well, on Nov. 11, we’re so excited to announce that Mark Harmon will return as Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the Origins hour of the NCIS crossover event. We don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say Gibbs is no longer alone.”
Added Harmon, “I’m very proud of the storytelling that David and Gina are doing on Origins. They continue to push boundaries and dive deeper into the characters’ backstories. They came to me with an idea for Gibbs that I liked, and it seemed like a good time to check in with him. I hope fans enjoy it.”
NCIS: Origins and NCIS will swap timeslots for the crossover, with Origins airing at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Nov. 11 and NCIS following at 9 p.m.
North, Monreal, Mark Harmon and Sean Harmon executive produce NCIS: Origins, which like all shows in the franchise comes from CBS Studios.
