Mark Harmon (Leroy Jethro Gibbs) and Rocky Carroll (Leon Vance) are two of NCIS’s most enduring stars, but their partnership began years before they joined the long-running CBS drama.
Harmon first appeared as Gibbs when NCIS premiered as a backdoor pilot on JAG, while Carroll joined in season 5 and became the franchise’s longest-serving NCIS Director. Their time together on-screen, however, started in the ’90s.
Their First Collaboration: Chicago Hope
Before NCIS, both actors starred for several seasons in the medical drama Chicago Hope. Between 1996 and 2000, Harmon appeared in 95 episodes as orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jack McNeil, and Carroll appeared in 96 episodes as ER physician Dr. Keith Wilkes. Harmon’s character was already displaying the tough, no-nonsense traits that would define Gibbs. Carroll’s role was more understated than his future NCIS director persona, showing just how much his screen presence would evolve.
Carroll later revealed that Harmon was instrumental in his casting on NCIS. He joked, “I only knew one person connected to NCIS, but it was the right person – Mark Harmon.”
Competing for an NCIS Franchise Record
Harmon and Carroll are now the two most prominent figures competing for the title of most appearances across the NCIS franchise. Carroll’s Director Vance has appeared in four series – NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, and NCIS: Hawai‘i – thanks to his role overseeing all NCIS offices. Harmon’s Gibbs has appeared in three series, including JAG, and will return via the upcoming prequel NCIS: Origins, which may expand his franchise footprint even further.
Different Paths Forward
Although Harmon stepped away from NCIS in season 19, he remains a key figure behind the scenes. He will narrate and executive produce NCIS: Origins, which chronicles Gibbs’ early career in the 1990s. Carroll, meanwhile, will continue his onscreen role as Director Vance in NCIS season 22 and could appear in other spinoffs such as NCIS: Sydney or NCIS: Tony & Ziva.
A Partnership That Shaped a Franchise
From their early days on Chicago Hope to nearly two decades together across NCIS, Harmon and Carroll have been central to the franchise’s success. While Chicago Hope ended after six seasons, NCIS rose to become one of CBS’s defining series – and both actors have played major roles in its enduring legacy.
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