NCIS star on why he loves ‘dark underbelly’ and ’emotional scars’ of controversial character

Mark Harmon played Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS for almost two decades, but Gibbs’ personal life was still a mystery throughout the show.In an interview with TV Insider, Harmon said he wanted to play someone like Gibbs, whose focus was on their career, and his personal life was left in the shadows.

“Gibbs is a loner, with emotional scars a mile deep that run in a million different directions. At work, he’s a leader. But who is he if you take away his job? I play him, and even I don’t know the answer to that,” Harmon continued. In season 15 of the show, Gibbs returned to work traumatized after being tortured by terrorists, so there’s no secret that he brings baggage into the job. “He really thought life was over, and for him to admit that is huge, because he’s not that kind of guy. After all this time, the writers still find new places to take him,” Harmon mused.