Mark Harmon Leaves “NCIS” After 18 Years

Mark Harmon in
Mark Harmon in "NCIS"

After 18 years playing the lead in NCIS, Mark Harmon is exiting the show.

On Monday night’s episode, which was the fourth episode of Season 19, the show said goodbye to his character Leroy Jethro Gibbs leaving the team after being nearly getting killed in a boat explosion in the Season 18 finale. Gibbs remained in Alaska, where he and Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) tracked down a hitman hired by a local company.

There’s a possibility for Gibbs to return to the show as the future of the character has been left ambiguous. Harmon is also an executive producer.

“As an executive producer and dear friend, Mark continues to be an integral part of the fabric of the show,” executive producer and showrunner Steven D. Binder said in a statement via Variety. “Our North Star has always been staying true to our characters, and that truth has always guided the stories we tell and where those characters go. So regarding the future of Gibbs, as long-time fans of the show may have noticed over the years … never count Leroy Jethro Gibbs out.”

In Season 19, new characters were introduced including Special Agent Alden Park (Gary Cole) and Special Agent Jessica Knight (Katrina Law). They join Murray, Brian Dietzen, Rocky Carroll, David McCallum, Wilmer Valderrama, and Diona Reasonover.