{"id":2129,"date":"2025-03-15T21:42:35","date_gmt":"2025-03-15T21:42:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/?p=2129"},"modified":"2025-03-15T21:42:35","modified_gmt":"2025-03-15T21:42:35","slug":"11-actors-were-considered-to-play-leroy-jethro-gibbs-on-ncis-before-mark-harmon-including-2-oscar-winners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/?p=2129","title":{"rendered":"11 Actors Were Considered to Play Leroy Jethro Gibbs on \u2018NCIS\u2019 Before Mark Harmon (Including 2 Oscar Winners!)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Untold Story of Who Almost Became NCIS\u2019s Leroy Jethro Gibbs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Mark Harmon is the heart and soul of\u00a0NCIS<\/em>. His portrayal of Leroy Jethro Gibbs turned the show into a primetime powerhouse. But what if another actor had taken the role instead? Believe it or not,\u00a011 actors were seriously considered before Harmon landed the part<\/strong>\u2014and some of them are Hollywood legends, including two Oscar winners!<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a deep dive into the actors who almost became the face of\u00a0NCIS<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\n

The Importance of Casting the Right Gibbs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Casting Gibbs wasn\u2019t just about finding a good actor\u2014it was about finding someone who could command respect, show emotional depth, and carry the entire series on his shoulders. The perfect Gibbs needed to be tough yet compassionate, intimidating yet deeply human.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at the actors who were considered for the role before Mark Harmon made it his own.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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1. Harrison Ford \u2013 The Hollywood Icon Who Passed on Gibbs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Yes,\u00a0Indiana Jones<\/em>\u00a0himself was in the conversation for Gibbs! Harrison Ford has that tough-but-fair persona that would have made him a great fit. However, Ford was more focused on movies at the time and wasn\u2019t ready to commit to a TV series.<\/p>\n

\n

2. Don Johnson \u2013 The \u2018Miami Vice\u2019 Star Who Could Have Been Gibbs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After\u00a0Miami Vice<\/em>, Don Johnson was a huge name in television. Producers saw him as a potential Gibbs, but he wasn\u2019t quite the right fit. Plus, he moved on to star in\u00a0Nash Bridges<\/em>, another crime procedural that likely kept him from taking the\u00a0NCIS<\/em>\u00a0role.<\/p>\n

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3. Kevin Costner \u2013 An Oscar Winner Who Almost Led \u2018NCIS\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Could you imagine Kevin Costner as Gibbs? The\u00a0Dances with Wolves<\/em>\u00a0star was reportedly considered, but at the time, he was still focused on major Hollywood films. Today, he\u2019s made the jump to TV with\u00a0Yellowstone<\/em>, proving he could have been a great Gibbs.<\/p>\n

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4. Mel Gibson \u2013 A Controversial Choice That Didn\u2019t Happen<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Gibson\u2019s action-hero persona could have brought a unique edge to Gibbs, but his big-screen success likely made him too expensive and unavailable. Plus, his reputation at the time may have been a concern for network executives.<\/p>\n

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5. Tom Selleck \u2013 Another TV Legend Who Almost Took the Role<\/strong><\/h2>\n

With his history in crime procedurals (Magnum P.I.<\/em>\u00a0and later\u00a0Blue Bloods<\/em>), Tom Selleck had the perfect presence for Gibbs. However, he was already committed to other projects and ultimately passed on the opportunity.<\/p>\n

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6. Alec Baldwin \u2013 The Smooth-Talking Star Considered for the Role<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Alec Baldwin was another name on the list, thanks to his commanding presence and serious acting chops. But his focus on film and stage roles kept him from signing on for a long-term TV commitment like\u00a0NCIS<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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7. Dennis Quaid \u2013 The Movie Star Who Was Almost Gibbs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Quaid had the right balance of charm and authority, making him a strong contender. However, his schedule was packed with film projects, preventing him from locking in a long-term TV role at the time.<\/p>\n

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8. Kurt Russell \u2013 An Action Star Who Would Have Brought a Different Energy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Kurt Russell is known for his rugged, tough-guy roles, which could have made for a grittier version of Gibbs. However, Russell rarely does TV, and committing to a long-running procedural wasn\u2019t on his radar.<\/p>\n

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9. Michael Madsen \u2013 The Tarantino Favorite Who Was in the Running<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Madsen\u2019s deep, gravelly voice and no-nonsense attitude could have made him an interesting Gibbs. However, his reputation as a \u201ctough guy\u201d in Hollywood might have made him a bit too intense for the role.<\/p>\n

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10. Sam Neill \u2013 The Unexpected Name on the List<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Best known for\u00a0Jurassic Park<\/em>, Sam Neill was also considered for Gibbs. His calm yet commanding demeanor could have worked well, but he preferred film work at the time and turned it down.<\/p>\n

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11. Jeff Bridges \u2013 Another Oscar Winner Who Almost Led \u2018NCIS\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Bridges is a Hollywood legend, and his rugged charm could have made him an excellent Gibbs. However, much like Kevin Costner, he wasn\u2019t looking for a long-term TV commitment back then.<\/p>\n

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Why Mark Harmon Was the Perfect Choice for Gibbs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After considering all these big names, CBS ultimately landed on\u00a0Mark Harmon<\/strong>\u2014and it was the best decision they could have made.<\/p>\n

Why? Because Harmon had everything Gibbs needed:
\u2013 A commanding presence
\u2013 A background in crime dramas (The Presidio<\/em>,\u00a0Chicago Hope<\/em>)
\u2013 The ability to balance toughness with warmth
\u2013 A dedication to long-term TV work<\/p>\n

Unlike many of the other actors on this list, Harmon wasn\u2019t tied down by Hollywood\u2019s film industry, making him a perfect fit for the lead role.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Untold Story of Who Almost Became NCIS\u2019s Leroy Jethro Gibbs Mark Harmon is the heart and soul of\u00a0NCIS. His portrayal of Leroy Jethro Gibbs turned the… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2130,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2129"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2129\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2131,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2129\/revisions\/2131"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}