Biography of Mark Harmon

Thomas Mark Harmon was born in Burbank, California on September 2, 1951. His father Tom Harmon, was a University of Michigan Football All-American and Heisman Trophy winner. Mark's mother Elyse Knox is an actress and artist. He has two elder sisters: actress and painter Kristin Nelson and actress Kelly Harmon. After graduating from the Los Angeles Pierce College as a student and quarterback, he transferred to UCLA and started as a quarterback for the UCLA Bruins in 1972. In 1973, Mark received the National Football Foundation Award for All-Round Excellence.

Television Career

Mark made his acting debut in mid 1975 by giving a guest appearance in the episodes of Adam-12 and Emergency!. Later in 1978, Jack Webb, the producer/creator of both the series, cast Mark in a short-lived crime drama television series SAM, which was about a LAPD officer and his K-9 partner. In 1979, he featured in an action series 240-Robert as Deputy Dwayne Thibideaux. Mark acted as a supporting actor in episodic television shows like Police Woman, Laverne & Shirley and The Hardy Boys/Nancy Dew Mysteries.

In 1980, Mark received his first prominent role in prime-time soap opera Flamingo Road, where he played Morgan Fairchild's husband Fielding Carlisle. The series was short-lived, and later he landed the role of Dr. Robert Caldwell on the prestigious NBC Emmy-winning series St. Elsewhere. After this, Mark had limited engagement on the series Moonlighting, where he played Cybill Shepherd's love interest Sam Crawford. His next television role was in the NBC series Reasonable Doubts as Chicago police detective Dickie Cobb for nearly two seasons (1991-1993). In 1993, he also featured in the CBS comedy/western series Harts of the West in an unlikely role of a Rodeo Clown. From 1996-2000, he acted in medical shows in the series Chicago Hope as Dr. Jack McNeil. In April 2003, he played a lead role of NCIS agent Gibbs in two episodes of JAG.

Movie Career

During the late 1970s, he acted in films like Comes a Horseman and Beyond the Poseidon Adventure as a supporting actor. Mark featured in romantic comedies like Prince of Bel Air and Summer School, paired opposite Kirstie Alley. In 1986, he portrayed a role of serial killer Ted Bundy in the television movie The Deliberate Stranger. In 1988, he acted in a thriller movie The Presidioalong with actors Sean Connery and Meg Ryan. He starred in many other films like Stealing Home, Natural Born Killer, The Last Supper, I'll Remember April, Crossfire Trail, Chasing Liberty and Weather Girl.

Personal Life

After dating singer Karen Carpenter in the seventies, Mark married actress Pam Dawber on March 21, 1987. The couple have two sons: Sean Thomas Harmon (born on April 25, 1988) and Tyrone Christian Harmon (born on June 25, 1992). He was brother-in-law of the late Ricky Nelson and is the uncle of singers Matthew and Gunnar Nelson.

Trivia

• He considers Forest Evashevski as his godfather, who is presently in the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame.
• He worked as a carpenter before he became popular.
• He is good friends with actor David Bortolucci.
• Mark is the grandson of William Franklin Knox, United States Secretary of the Navy during World War II and Republican candidate for Vice President in 1936.

The biography of Mark Harmon reflects upon his achievements and a successful acting career. Being 6 feet tall, he was chosen as People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive in 1986.