NCIS fans claim that since Mark Harmon’s departure as Leroy Gibbs, the show has never been the same. The veteran actor has now revealed why he resigned as the special agent.
NCIS will return to CBS later this year, and the cr1me drama has said farewell to some fan favorites. Before his final episode aired last year, Mark Harmon played Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs for 19 seasons. The actor has finally spoken out about why he chose not to participate in the show.
The last time fans saw Leroy Gibbs, he was hunting down a contract k1ller in Alaska with Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray).
Gibbs made an emotional decision to stay in Alaska and live a more relaxed lifestyle rather than return to the world of cr1me.
He told McGee he wasn’t going home while the two were fishing, and the 70-year-old actor has now explained why.
He stated that his character’s story arc had come to a natural conclusion and that it was time to retire from the role.
“What has always drawn me here is the character I play and keeping it fresh and challenging,” the star said.
“This character has chosen the path that it has. I thought it was honest and acceptable “He stated this in an upcoming season 19 DVD, which ET Canada obtained.
However, the actor hinted that fans might not see Gibbs again because his character was not k1lled off.
This is not the first time Gibbs’ return has been hinted at, as the show’s executives stated at the time of his departure that there would always be room for him to return.
“Mark’s always been a part of the show, and Mark’s always going to be a part of the show,” CBS president Kelly Kahl added.
“In terms of his on-air appearances, we’ll just have to see how it plays out in the future.”
Season 20 is set to premiere on September 19, and fans will be curious to see if Mark appears in the opening credits again.
Even after he left, the star was still mentioned in the show’s titles to give the show some familiarity.
“That’s something we might look at going forward,” Kelly said of the season 20 credits.
Mark was not only an actor in the franchise, but he was also an executive producer on a few episodes.
Both NCIS and its spin-off, NCIS: New Orleans, featured the actor behind the camera.
When the show was officially renewed for season 20, some of the cast members shared a promotional photo for season 20.
The number 20 was written out with photos of the entire cast, but Gibbs was missing.
At this time, the star is not expected to appear in any of the upcoming episodes.
However, viewers should not give up hope just yet because the star has stated that he is open to returning in the future.
