Pam Dawber Had 1 Condition to Appear on ‘NCIS’ Alongside Real-Life Husband Mark Harmon

Curious World Staff

April 12, 2021

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Pam Dawber Appeared on ‘NCIS’ – But Only on One Condition

Pam Dawber surprised fans by appearing as investigative journalist Marcie Warren in the April 6 episode of NCIS. As the real-life wife of series star Mark Harmon, CBS had tried several times over the years to get her on board. This time, she finally agreed-but only after laying down one firm condition.

Why Pam Dawber Previously Said No to ‘NCIS’

Mark Harmon has led NCIS as Leroy Jethro Gibbs since the series began in 2003. Given his long run on the show and Dawber’s TV legacy from Mork & Mindy and My Sister Sam, producers thought bringing her in would be a great fit.

But Dawber turned down previous offers. “They’ve asked me a few times over the years,” she told Entertainment Weekly. “I just didn’t want to do it, or I wasn’t happy with the role they had in mind.” Sometimes it was simply bad timing-like during the holidays or when family was visiting.

She Chose Motherhood Over the Spotlight

Back in 1987, Dawber and Harmon married while both were in the spotlight-he’d just been named People‘s Sexiest Man Alive, and she was starring in My Sister Sam. But after they had sons Sean (born 1988) and Ty (born 1992), Dawber made a conscious choice to step away from full-time acting.

“I was doing great-I had my own sitcom, I got to do Broadway, voice work, and even musicals,” Dawber told Good Housekeeping. “But once I became a mom, I just didn’t want to chase fame anymore. My kids were more important.”

She Said Yes to ‘NCIS’-But on Her Own Terms

Though she’d been semi-retired from TV for years, Dawber hadn’t fully ruled it out. Her last appearance had been a small part in The Odd Couple reboot. When NCIS approached her again, she was surprised by how much she liked the script.

“I fell in love with what they wrote,” she said. Still, she had one non-negotiable term before she agreed to join. “I told the producers right away-if this is a romantic interest, I’m not interested.” Fortunately, they assured her the character was strictly professional.

Dawber’s Character Is a Journalist-Not a Love Interest

In her NCIS arc, Dawber plays Marcie Warren, an investigative journalist determined to uncover the truth behind Gibbs’ indefinite suspension. She isn’t interested in romance-only facts.

“She’s digging into a major case that Gibbs is tied up in. She’s trying to figure out what really happened, but no one wants to talk,” Dawber explained. “She manages to track Gibbs down and hopes he’ll give her something to work with.”

Returning to TV Made Her Nervous

Even with her experience, Dawber admitted she was nervous about stepping back in front of the camera after so long. “I had these anxiety bubbles-what if I can’t remember my lines? What if I suck?” she said.

She also confessed to feeling self-conscious about modern HD screens. “Everyone has huge TVs now,” she laughed. “You can see every pore and wrinkle. I don’t even want to watch myself on DVD-I’ll just criticize my hair and how old I look.”

Still, Dawber successfully filmed four episodes and was proud of the work. She brought depth and tenacity to Marcie Warren-and stayed true to herself and her family-first values.