{"id":2202,"date":"2025-03-20T13:01:45","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T13:01:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/?p=2202"},"modified":"2025-03-20T13:01:45","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T13:01:45","slug":"before-ncis-mark-harmon-starred-in-this-forgotten-1988-military-thriller-flop-with-sean-connery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/?p=2202","title":{"rendered":"Before \u2018NCIS,\u2019 Mark Harmon Starred in This Forgotten 1988 Military Thriller Flop With Sean Connery"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Forgotten Military Thriller That Preceded \u2018NCIS\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Before Mark Harmon became a household name as Leroy Jethro Gibbs on\u00a0NCIS<\/em>, he had a different vision for his Hollywood career. In 1988, he starred alongside Sean Connery in a military thriller that was supposed to be a big hit. Instead, it became a flop that most people have never even heard of.<\/p>\n

What went wrong? Why did this film fail despite its star power? And how did Harmon bounce back to become one of television\u2019s most beloved actors? Let\u2019s dive into the story of\u00a0The Presidio<\/em>, the forgotten action thriller that failed to launch Mark Harmon\u2019s movie career.<\/p>\n

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A Star-Studded Cast with High Hopes<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Harmon wasn\u2019t just some unknown actor when he took on\u00a0The Presidio<\/em>. By the late 1980s, he was already a rising star. After earning an Emmy nomination for\u00a0Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years<\/em>\u00a0and gaining popularity on\u00a0St. Elsewhere<\/em>, he was considered one of Hollywood\u2019s most promising leading men.<\/p>\n

The film also had legendary actor Sean Connery, fresh off\u00a0The Untouchables<\/em>, which won him an Academy Award. It seemed like a recipe for success. But things didn\u2019t quite go as planned.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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What Was \u2018The Presidio\u2019 About?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Directed by Peter Hyams (Capricorn One<\/em>,\u00a02010: The Year We Make Contact<\/em>),\u00a0The Presidio<\/em>\u00a0was a mix of military drama, mystery, and action.<\/p>\n

The plot followed Mark Harmon\u2019s character, Jay Austin, an ex-military investigator-turned-San Francisco detective. He\u2019s forced to work with his old commanding officer, played by Sean Connery, to solve a murder at the Presidio military base. To make things even more complicated, Austin falls for his ex-boss\u2019s daughter, played by Meg Ryan.<\/p>\n

The film had all the right ingredients\u2014action, romance, and the legendary charisma of Sean Connery. So why did it fail?<\/p>\n

\n

Why \u2018The Presidio\u2019 Bombed at the Box Office<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Despite the hype,\u00a0The Presidio<\/em> was a critical and commercial disappointment. Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n

1. A Predictable and Confusing Plot<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Audiences found the storyline formulaic and uninspired. The film tried to blend mystery with military action but ended up delivering a generic cop drama. Even with Connery\u2019s charm and Harmon\u2019s likability, the script lacked depth.<\/p>\n

2. Poorly Written Romance<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The relationship between Harmon\u2019s character and Meg Ryan\u2019s character felt forced. Many critics pointed out that their chemistry didn\u2019t click, making the romance subplot feel unnecessary.<\/p>\n

3. Weak Action Sequences<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For a military thriller, the action was underwhelming. The film had a few decent chase scenes, but nothing that made it stand out from other 1980s action films.<\/p>\n

4. Unfair Comparisons to Other Thrillers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1988 was a competitive year for action films.\u00a0Die Hard<\/em>\u00a0debuted that summer, redefining the genre. Compared to\u00a0Die Hard<\/em>,\u00a0The Presidio<\/em> felt outdated and unoriginal.<\/p>\n

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Mark Harmon\u2019s Career After \u2018The Presidio\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Even though\u00a0The Presidio<\/em>\u00a0didn\u2019t do much for his movie career, Harmon didn\u2019t fade into obscurity. Instead, he pivoted back to television, where he thrived.<\/p>\n

Returning to TV Success<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the 1990s, Harmon landed roles in hit shows like\u00a0Chicago Hope<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Reasonable Doubts<\/em>. He proved himself as a solid TV actor, even if his movie career never took off.<\/p>\n

The Game-Changing Role: \u2018NCIS\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Everything changed in 2003 when he took on the role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs in\u00a0NCIS<\/em>. The show became a massive success, running for over two decades and making Harmon one of the most recognizable faces on television.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s ironic\u2014Harmon once tried to be a big movie star, but it was TV that gave him the lasting legacy he was looking for.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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Sean Connery\u2019s Thoughts on \u2018The Presidio\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Unlike Harmon, Connery\u2019s career remained strong after\u00a0The Presidio<\/em>. He quickly bounced back with hits like\u00a0Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade<\/em>\u00a0(1989) and\u00a0The Hunt for Red October<\/em> (1990).<\/p>\n

But what did Connery think about\u00a0The Presidio<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Reports suggest that while Connery enjoyed working with Harmon, he wasn\u2019t thrilled with the script. He later referred to the film as a forgettable project that didn\u2019t make the most of its potential.<\/p>\n

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Why \u2018The Presidio\u2019 Is Worth Watching Today<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Even though\u00a0The Presidio<\/em> bombed, it\u2019s still an interesting watch, especially for Mark Harmon fans. Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • It\u2019s a glimpse into Harmon\u2019s pre-NCIS<\/em>\u00a0days<\/strong>\u2014Fans of Gibbs can see a younger Harmon in action.<\/li>\n
  • Sean Connery steals the show<\/strong>\u2014As always, Connery\u2019s presence makes any film worth watching.<\/li>\n
  • It\u2019s a nostalgic 80s thriller<\/strong>\u2014If you love old-school action movies,\u00a0The Presidio<\/em>\u00a0has that classic late-80s feel.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    \n

    Conclusion: A Career Misstep That Led to Success<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    While\u00a0The Presidio<\/em>\u00a0didn\u2019t launch Mark Harmon\u2019s movie career, it didn\u2019t derail him either. Instead, it helped him find his true calling\u2014television. By the time\u00a0NCIS<\/em>\u00a0rolled around, Harmon had learned what worked for him as an actor, and the rest is history.<\/p>\n

    So if you\u2019re an\u00a0NCIS<\/em>\u00a0fan looking for a throwback, give\u00a0The Presidio<\/em>\u00a0a shot. Just don\u2019t expect a masterpiece\u2014because even Mark Harmon had to stumble before finding his stride.<\/p>\n

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    The Forgotten Military Thriller That Preceded \u2018NCIS\u2019 Before Mark Harmon became a household name as Leroy Jethro Gibbs on\u00a0NCIS, he had a different vision for his Hollywood… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2203,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2202","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\/2202","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=2202"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2202\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2204,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2202\/revisions\/2204"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncisnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}