‘NCIS’: This Iconic ‘Star Wars’ Actor Was Originally Thought to Be the ‘Perfect’ Gibbs

When Mark Harmon decided to leave NCIS after nearly two decades of work as Leroy Jethro Gibbs, fans were certain it was the end of the series. Harmon had become the show in many ways, and fans couldn’t see a path through the departure of the show’s guiding light. It worked out, though. Harmon walked away to look for other projects and spend time with his family, and NCIS continued. It might be surprising to learn that Harmon was one of many actors considered for the part of Gibbs when NCIS was in development. The casting team even discussed casting Harrison Ford of Star Wars and Indiana Jones fame in the role. A meeting probably never took place about the part, though.

‘Star Wars’ star Harrison Ford was thought to be “perfect” for the part of Gibbs on ‘NCIS’ 

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, NCIS executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson revealed that the entire casting team thought Harrison Ford would be perfect for the part of Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS. According to Johnson, Harrison Ford’s name was thrown around repeatedly when the project was just getting off the ground. He said the entire team believed Ford would have been perfect in the part. 

While Ford was considered the “perfect Gibbs” initially, the concept never went much further than talking about it. There was no meeting about the role. In fact, it’s unclear if Ford even knows his name was thrown around when NCIS was in development. 

Peter Golden, the head of CBS casting, threw his thoughts out there while chatting with The Hollywood Reporter. Golden said that while several big-name stars, including Ford, were mentioned for the show, Ford was never really a contender. Golden noted that during NCIS’s development era, actors like Ford rarely made the leap from the big screen to the small-screen. In short, he wasn’t exactly “gettable.”

While Ford appeared in TV movies here and there after the 1970s, the bulk of his career was made on the big screen. He seemed to enjoy it that way until recently. Now, Ford is playing a lead role in 1923 and Shrinking. Still, in the early 2000s, he was heavily focused on his movie career. 

Actors other than Harrison Ford were also considered before Mark Harmon ultimately won the part 

While Harrison Ford would have made a “perfect” Gibbs, according to Johnson, he wasn’t the only star who was considered for the role. Several others made it much further into the process before the network decided to go with Harmon. 

Andrew McCarthy was seriously considered for the role. McCarthy might be best known for his work in the Brat Pack classics, Pretty in Pink and St. Elmo’s Fire. He also appeared in Weekend at Bernie’s. More recently, he has appeared in The Resident. Scott Glenn also took meetings about joining the cast of NCIS. Both ultimately passed on the role before Harmon agreed to take the part.