Mark Harmon on His Unlikely Path to Best-Selling Author and Revisiting Gibbs With ‘NCIS: Origins’

The star tells The Hollywood Reporter how ‘NCIS’ helped lead him to co-author his second book, ‘Ghosts of Panama,’ while also balancing TV work and the upcoming ‘Freaky Friday’ sequel.

Mark Harmon keeps finding surprising avenues for himself, as he is now a best-selling author — despite zero intention of ever becoming one.The performer, who starred on CBS’ NCIS as lead special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs before saying goodbye in season 19, is still focused on telling stories about the U.S. Navy. After he and former NCIS special advisor Leon Carroll Jr. co-wrote last year’s best-selling nonfiction book Ghosts of Honolulu, centering on the attack on Pearl Harbor, the pair are back with Ghosts of Panama. Now available, the new book explores the U.S. invasion of Panama in late 1989 and how the Naval Investigative Service special agents investigating the murder of a young U.S. Marine helped change the course of history.