Actor Mark Harmon is best known for playing the iconic role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs on the highly successful NCIS. However, he also shares two children with his wife of nearly four decades, Pam Dawber. Like their famous parents, Sean and Ty are carving their paths in Hollywood.
Who is Mark Harmon?
Thomas Mark Harmon was born on September 2, 1951, in Burbank, California, USA. He is the son of sports broadcaster Tom Harmon and model-turned-actor Elyse Knox. His older sisters – the late Kristin Nelson (née Harmon) and Kelly Harmon were also actors.
Like his father, Harmon excelled as a football player. From 1972-1973, he was a starting quarterback for the UCLA Bruins and received the National Football Foundation Award for All-Round Excellence. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication in 1974.
His father was the national spokesman for Kellogg’s cereal, and Harmon caught the acting bug after they appeared in a commercial together. His sister Kristin was married to actor and musician Ricky Nelson, whose parents were the stars of Ozzie’s Girls. Harmon’s career as a television actor began when he appeared as a guest on the show. He established a successful career as a character actor, appearing on shows like Laverne & Shirley and The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries and in films, including Comes a Horseman and Beyond the Poseidon Adventure. From 1983 to 1986, he played Dr. Robert Caldwell on the series St. Elsewhere. From 1991 to 1993, Harmon starred as Dickie Cobb on the TV show Reasonable Doubts. From 1996 to 2000, he played Dr. Jack McNeil on Chicago Hope. In 2002 he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his performance as Secret Service agent Simon Donovan on The West Wing. Harmon caught the eye of producer Donald P. Bellisario who cast him in the guest role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs for two episodes of JAG. The character resonated so strongly with viewers that Bellasio created the show NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which starred Harmon as Gibbs from 2003 to 2022.
Harmon is known for his love of privacy. He plays his cards close to the chest, keeping his personal life and politics out of the public sphere. However, while discussing his admiration for George Carlin in an interview with Stephen Colbert, he revealed that he is Roman Catholic.
Sean Harmon: Carrying on the family tradition
Born on April 25, 1988 in Burbank, California, Sean Thomas Harmon is the oldest child in a tight-knit family. Over time he has established himself as a versatile talent. His acting career began when Sean won the part of the younger version of his father’s character on NCIS in 2008. He went on to guest star on CSI: NY, Major Crimes, and Havens: Origins.
In 2009, Sean founded Urban Fist Stunts & Coordination. A proficient kickboxer, he has amassed an impressive portfolio as a stunt coordinator on numerous productions, including the film American Pie: Reunion and the TV series Breakwater. The thrill-seeking eldest Harmon practices Muay Thai, enjoys riding motorcycles, and is an avid equestrian.
Sean is a mixed-medium artist who often posts his projects on Instagram. He also produced the short movie Catholic Schoolgirl Chainsaw Showdown in 2012. Sean became engaged to film producer Courtney Prather in July 2021 and married in 2022.
Ty Harmon: Shaping narratives through art
Ty Christian Harmon was born in Los Angeles on June 25, 1992. The youngest Harmon brother shares his older brother’s love of equestrian sports and martial arts. However, his career trajectory has taken him down a different path.
Ty got his start as a production assistant intern on the set of NCIS. In 2012, he wrote the screenplay for the short movie Catholic Schoolgirl Chainsaw Showdown, which his brother Sean produced. According to his LinkedIn profile, Ty attended the Ringling College of Art and Design, earning a Bachelor of Fine Art in Game Art and Design. In 2014, he interned for a year at American Zoetrope – the film production company founded by Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas.
Today, Harmon is a thriving visualization artist, boasting an impressive portfolio of credits in major motion pictures like Captain Marvel, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He has also contributed his skills to renowned TV shows such as Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and WandaVision.
Parenting Journey with Pam Dawber
Harmon married fellow actor Pam Dawber on March 21, 1987. The couple has kept a low profile throughout their marriage, partially due to a tragedy early in their marriage.
Dawber — a successful television actor in her own right — was discovered by Garry Marshall in 1977, the same year she entered the talent development program operated by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). In 1978, Marshall cast Dawber as Mindy McConnell opposite Robin Williams in the hit TV sitcom Mork and Mindy. The show ran until 1982.
From 1986 to 1988, Dawber played Samantha Russell opposite Rebecca Schaeffer on My Sister Sam on CBS. Shaeffer and Dawber shared a home while shooting the series, which was canceled in April 1988. Later that month, on April 25, Dawber gave birth to her first son Sean.
In July 1989, Dawber’s former co-star Shaeffer became the victim of femicide perpetrated by a man who stalked her for three years. The murder had a profound effect on Dawber. After the birth of her second child, Ty Christian Harmon — born on June 25, 1992 — she entered semi-retirement. She became a homemaker and devoted her time and energy to nurturing her children.
The Harmon family personifies a legacy of talent, dedication, and unity. Sean and Ty have strong role models in their parents, grandparents, and extended family to navigate the peaks and valleys of building careers in the movie business. As they continue to shape narratives in Hollywood in front of and behind the camera, the Harmons live out the enduring values of creativity, determination, and family.
