Could you imagine someone other than Mark Harmon playing Leroy Jethro Gibbs on the NCIS cast?
No, we aren’t talking about the Young Gibbs we have seen in flashbacks and on NCIS: Origins. We are talking about someone else nabbing the role on NCIS before Harmon got it.
Harmon starred as Gibbs on NCIS from 2003 until 2021. He left the show early in Season 19, and Gibbs was retired to Alaska.
Harmon also appears on NCIS: Origins, serving as the narrator and appearing in scenes where Gibbs writes a memorial about his exploits.
Actor Austin Stowell now plays the Young Gibbs on NCIS: Origin, taking the mantle from Sean Harmon, who had played Young Gibbs in NCIS flashbacks.
NCIS fans continue hoping that Gibbs (played by Harmon) will have a reason to resurface on the primary show in the future.
Who else could have played Gibbs on NCIS?
A fun report that names people considered to play Leroy Jethro Gibbs before Mark Harmon got the part has been released has been released.
“Andrew McCarthy, at one point, was in the mix for Gibbs. He and Don Bellisario met and talked over the role,” Don McGill (NCIS writer and producer) told Just Jared.
Movie fans know Andrew McCarthy as the love interest to Molly Ringwald in Pretty In Pink.
Another name that came up was Harrison Ford. He was considered perfect for the role, but his name never advanced past the idea phase.
Below is the complete list of people who were considered to play Gibbs. The names come from Just Jared; some are extremely famous.
Some of these actors seem like they could play the role well, but Harmon is now the name that will always be associated with Gibbs.
- Charlie Sheen
- Andrew McCarthy
- Harrison Ford
- Chris Cooper (American Beauty, The Bourne Identity)
- Val Kilmer
- Patrick Swayze
- Tom Berenger (Major League, Platoon)
- Kevin Bacon
- Clive Owen
- Alec Baldwin
- Aidan Quinn
More from the NCIS Universe
Sean Harmon spoke about giving up the role of Young Gibbs. The son of Mark Harmon now serves as an executive producer on NCIS: Origins and has kept very busy with the new show.
NCIS fans celebrated seeing Mark Harmon on NCIS: Origins. Having Harmon return as Gibbs was an unexpected treat, as he had only been advertised as the narrator.
Michael Weatherly lost weight for NCIS: Tony & Ziva. Fans noticed in social media images he shared from the set of the new NCIS spin-off.
Previous episodes of NCIS are streaming on Paramount+. The streaming service also features all episodes from the various NCIS spin-offs and prequels.
NCIS airs Monday at 9/8c on CBS.
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