“I’ve never played a guy like him before”: Mark Harmon Has 1 Cop Role He Claimed Even Tops the Legendary Gibbs of NCIS in Multiple Areas

Mark Harmon, best known for his iconic role as Gibbs on NCIS, once admitted there was one cop role he’d played that outshone the legendary Gibbs in some major ways. Believe it or not, it wasn’t the tough, no-nonsense agent he’s been famous for. 

Instead, it was a role that brought a whole new set of challenges. It was a character that took Harmon to unexpected places, both in front of the camera and in his acting career.

Mark Harmon’s surprising cop role: How Lucas Davenport outshines Gibbs in complexity

Mark Harmon revealed something surprising: there’s one cop role he’s played that even tops his legendary NCIS character, Gibbs. It’s none other than Lucas Davenport from Certain Prey, a role that gave him a whole new set of challenges. While Gibbs is tough and stoic, Davenport’s complexity pushed Harmon into uncharted territory.

Harmon explained that while Davenport and Gibbs would probably connect on a work level, they’d be polar opposites outside of it. Davenport’s approach was more “nasty” at times. He said,

I think there’s a part of them that would totally understand each other. But I think most of it would have to be involved in the work part. I think on a personal level they’re total opposites. I mean, what they enjoy and don’t enjoy are very, very different away from the job. Jobwise, there’s an arc to the way they get it done that is familiar to me from playing Gibbs, though I think in many ways Davenport can be as nasty as the people he’s chasing.

What set Davenport apart for Harmon? Well, the character’s unique personal style, his journey through complex cases, and the vast world built by author John Sandford in the Prey book series. Harmon’s familiarity with the books helped him step into the role, but the physical and personal aspects of Davenport’s life were a whole new challenge.

For Harmon, Certain Prey was an opportunity to flex his acting muscles in a way that felt fresh, yet not too far removed from the strong, driven characters he’s known for. As he said, 

Oh, I’ve never played a guy like him before. I mean just physically, I think Sandford does such a great job of setting that up. And I have the advantage of knowing his background, having read all the books. But where we pick up this story is ten novels in. From the way he dresses to the cars he drives to what he is personally, it’s all very different from what he is as a cop. 

He continued,

And then the other personal side of that is almost the personal path he goes on his own to try to solve these things, to try to push through these cases. He’s a driving force and yet I think all these characters in these books are every bit as important as his character. And we tried to put that together and cast that accordingly, that these will be characters that should we do more than just one will continue on. 

But, for me, I’m looking to play something certainly somewhat different than what I’m doing on the series but not so much different that it’s blaringly shocking.  Actors are attracted to characters they want to play, and that was true to me with Davenport. Whether I pulled it off or not is going to be up to you when you see it.

It’s clear this new role was a thrilling departure from Gibbs’ tough-guy persona.

Mark Harmon expands NCIS with Origins and a gripping book series

Mark Harmon is expanding the NCIS franchise in unexpected ways. While his character’s journey may be over, Harmon returns to narrate NCIS: Origins, a prequel exploring Gibbs and Mike Franks. But Harmon’s ambitions go beyond TV. 

Alongside NCIS technical advisor Leon Carroll Jr., he delved into real-world stories with their book series. Initially hesitant about writing, Harmon found inspiration in real NCIS cases. Their first book, Ghosts of Honolulu, launched in November 2023. 

Now, they’re back with Ghosts of Panama, continuing their journey into history with gripping, true-to-life tales.

NCIS is available to watch on Hulu & Apple TV.

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