Mark Harmon Gave Up a Hefty Paycheck Walking Away From NCIS
NCIS is one of the longest-running police procedural series on American TV, now in its 20th season.
For that matter, it is one of the longest-running scripted live-action series in general, losing only to Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU.
Consequently, the series' lead actor Mark Harmon, who played NCIS Supervisory Special Agent Jethro Gibbs for 18 years and 19 seasons, is one of the longest-serving American TV stars ever.
However, Harmon quit the series in 2021, much to the dismay of fans — of course, Jethro Gibbs was the heart and face of the series for so long, and people were very attached to the character. In extra materials from NCIS season 19 DVD release, Harmon implies that he left because the series no longer offered anything 'fresh' and 'challenging' to him.
But it is also possible that he was deeming himself too old to play a character who effectively was an action hero. In any case, walking away from the series must not have been easy for Harmon both emotionally and most likely money-wise because, along with the job, the actor also had to give up a hefty paycheck. But how hefty exactly?
Very hefty, apparently. According to Celebrity Net Worth and other Internet sources, Mark Harmon's per-episode salary on NCIS reached $525 thousands at the show's peak — which is big enough that he probably should be on the list of the highest-paid TV stars, albeit on its tail end.
What's more, Harmon also became an executive producer of NCIS, which earned him additional money, and received syndication royalties — so his total earnings for the series are estimated at around $20 million yearly.
All in all, Mark Harmon's net worth amounts to an impressive $120 million, but we should keep in mind that he was an accomplished and financially successful actor even before starring on NCIS. His earlier profitable roles include St. Elsewhere and Chicago Hope, among others.
But clearly, NCIS had been Harmon's most lucrative series — as well as the most popular and longest-running — so walking away from the project and the money was probably a tough decision for him.