Ever since “NCIS” premiered on CBS in 2003, Mark Harmon has starred as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, commander of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. When he was cast, producers saw him as a perfect fit, and 18 years later, he’s still at it with a highly successful career on a top-rated show. But where has his wife, Pam Dawber, been all these years?
Famous for starring opposite Robin Williams in the sitcom “Mork & Mindy” during the late ’70s and early ’80s, Dawber is an actress in her own right. She didn’t quit the business altogether after marrying Harmon in 1987, appearing with him in the play “Love Letters” in 1990 and the movie “I’ll Remember April” in 1999. With two sons to raise, however, she stepped back. “I wanted to drive my kids to school. I wanted to be there for their birthdays and bring cupcakes and donuts and do the school festivals and all that — and I did,” she said, according to “SoapHub.” “I got to teach in their art class and so it was a different life then and I was very happy to do it.”
With the boys grown up, however, 2021 is the perfect time for her to jump back into acting with her new role on “NCIS.” But even for an actress as talented and revered as Dawber, joining your husband on his hit show isn’t as simple as it sounds.
Pam Dawber’s first answer was no
Up to now, Pam Dawber had her reasons for not appearing on “NCIS.” She’d turn down a role if it didn’t feel right or if the timing didn’t fit with her family’s schedule. She wasn’t even sure she felt like acting anymore. After all, it’s been a minute since she last appeared onscreen in 2016, on “The Odd Couple” on CBS. “I just haven’t been interested in, you know, chasing the business. At this age, that’s what you do,” Dawber told “Entertainment Weekly.” “I just don’t want to put myself out anymore.”
When the role of Marcie Warren was being developed for “NCIS,” Mark Harmon didn’t even tell his wife about it. But he did mention it to her agent since the part seemed perfect for her. Dawber would have the chance to play a witty investigative journalist — if she wanted it.
Dawber’s gut told her to turn it down. But she was willing to listen and learn. If she had the tiniest glimmer of interest in playing a part on “NCIS,” there was one trap she knew she wanted to avoid. She definitely didn’t want to play a romantic role opposite her husband. The question was: Did this role meet that critical requirement?
Read More: https://www.looper.com/388872/how-pam-dawber-really-felt-when-she-joined-her-husband-mark-harmon-on-ncis/
