Mark Harmon books first acting role since leaving NCIS in 2021

Mark Harmon will always be the face of NCIS. He led the show for 19 seasons, and even in his absence, his presence hangs over the franchise. It's no coincidence that the first prequel in NCIS history will be a show exploring the origins of Harmon's character, with narration from the actor.

Harmon may be retired as Leroy Jethro Gibbs, but he's not retired from acting altogether. The veteran is actually returning to the big screen for Freaky Friday 2, the long-awaited sequel to the 2004 film. It will mark Harmon's first film role since 2009, and his first role since he left NCIS three years ago.

Mark Harmon will reprise his role in the Disney sequel

Harmon played Ryan, the love interest of Jamie Lee Curtis' character, in Freaky Friday. Daily Mail has already confirmed the actor is on the set of the sequel, though the specifics of his character's involvement will likely remain under wraps until the film releases (or we get a trailer, at least).

A family comedy with fantasy elements is definitely a far cry from the procedural NCIS, which is partially why Harmon wanted to step away from the latter. During a DVD featurette for NCIS season 19, the actor noted that he wanted to try new things:

"[I want] to keep it fresh. What has always drawn me here is the character I play and to keep it fresh and to keep it challenging. Plot-wise, this character has taken the path that it did."

Harmon wants to continue to act post-NCIS

Harmon's desire to evolve stems from his desire to keep working. He told Yahoo he never intended to "do nothing" with his post-NCIS years, and booking a role in Freaky Friday 2 is proof. "He enjoys the camaraderie of actors and the crew," a friend of Harmon's told the outlet. "He also enjoys his downtime. He’s trying to balance it all."

In addition to producing NCIS: Origins and starring in Disney comedies, Harmon recently penned the novel Ghosts of Honolulu with NCIS consultant Leon Carroll, Jr. We can't wait to see what he does next.