‘NCIS’ Season 15 Could Be Mark Harmon’s Last, Health Scare Reports Continue [Rumor]
Fans think NCIS has not been the same ever since favorite character Tony DiNozzo, played by Michael Weatherly, made his exit in Season 13. Now, rumors are rife that central character Jethro Leroy Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon, would be the next to leave and Season 15 could be his last season.
NCIS fans have said goodbye to several favorite characters who have been with the series for years. Besides Weatherly, another fan-favorite, Ziva (Cote de Pablo), also made her exit during Season 11. Jennifer Esposito, who plays Alex Quinn, is the latest cast member to leave the show, although she hasn’t been around for long. But it’s a different story for lead character Gibbs, whose departure from the series has been the subject of rumors for quite some time now.
Harmon leaving NCIS, and Season 15 (or even Season 14) being his last, are rumors that started a year ago based solely on a photo of the actor that circulated online. One person took notice of Mark’s frail appearance, and people, and even some news outlets, picked up on it and started making widespread speculation about the actor’s health.
Earlier this year, Radar Online also reported about Mark Harmon’s health scare. A source for the news outlet reportedly said that Harmon’s health is deteriorating and that his friends are concerned. When the 65-year-old is not filming NCIS, he spends most of his time in his home, which is believed to be unusual for the former athlete, the source continued. Harmon was a college quarterback for the UCLA Bruins football team in the 1970s.
Harmon was also reportedly affected by executive producer and good friend Gary Glasberg’s death in September, 2016. Glasberg was just 50-years-old when he died in his sleep, and this allegedly became a wake-up call for Harmon, who then thought about retirement, a source shared. For this reason, insiders have alleged that the actor will not return for Season 15, or that the next season could be his last.
But as always, rumors have to be shot down. CarterMatt insists that Harmon is not going anywhere and there’s little evidence suggesting he will leave the show soon. As reported by the publication, Harmon has already signed the contract for Season 15, which means that he’ll make appearances for the duration of the next season.
As for Harmon’s participation in future seasons, it remains unclear as NCIS has not yet been renewed for Season 16. Nevertheless, NCIS has proven to be an established series having reached 14 seasons (and going for 15). Fans, though, still can’t help but wonder about its future considering it has suffered low ratings. However, NCIS was recently been given the Most-Watched Show in the World title, according to TV Guide. This strongly suggests that NCIS is doing great and CBS has no reason to cancel the show anytime soon.
[Featured Image by Mark Davis/Getty Images]
