Mark Harmon has been in quite a few epic pieces throughout his star-studded acting career, though none compares to his iconic role as Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS. But, of course, that’s not his only epic role, for his performances in numerous other projects have earned him almost equal attention from fans worldwide—like 1987’s Summer School.
One that had him playing a completely different role than his brilliant one of Gibbs, the comedy-drama has been widely underrated by professional critics. However, Harmon, for one, was always interested in taking on that respective part, no matter what, and it seems the only one begging him not to do so was his wife, Pam Dawber.
Mark Harmon’s wife begged him not to do Summer School
Released in 1987, Summer School featured Mark Harmon as Freddy Shoop, a gym teacher, whose plans of vacationing in Hawaii get brutally ruined when he finds himself forced to teach remedial English classes in summer school. However, things take a better turn when he meets Kirstie Alley’s Ms. Robin Elizabeth Bishop, a teacher next door, whom he ends up falling in love with.
Upon release, this movie was critically panned by most critics and general audiences as is especially evident from its 57% critical and 58% general score on Rotten Tomatoes. But while it was deemed underrated by professional critics, the colors it painted Harmon in were truly epic. If anything, that part is widely regarded by many among his most iconic roles besides his more serious ones like that of Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS that followed.
As it turns out, though, the 73-year-old actor’s wife Pam Dawber was actually opposed to him taking on the role of the goofy beloved gym teacher in the comedy-drama tamed by filmmaker Carl Reiner. In an interview with PEOPLE in 2019, Harmon came clean about the same, spilling the beans:
I wanted to do [Summer School] just because I was excited to work with [director] Carl Reiner. That was a game changer for me, like, ‘He thinks I can do this?!’ and that meant a lot. But Pam [Dawber] said, ‘Don’t do that. Don’t do this movie.’ We don’t generally like the same thing, and that’s been healthy for us, actually.
Well, even though his wife begged him not to take it, the Freaky Friday star didn’t step back and ended up giving one of the most epic performances of his entire career as the fan-beloved Freddy Shoop. And, surprisingly enough, despite their opposing choices, both Harmon and Dawber seem to fit like perfect puzzle pieces, considering how they have been happily in love and married for around thirty-eight years and counting.
Mark Harmon is “just so proud” of his wife
While their having creative differences that somehow help them connect is one thing, Mark Harmon is, nonetheless, as proud of his wife as ever. And he isn’t even hesitant to let that known either. During the same interview with PEOPLE, he proudly flaunted an eagle head-shaped ring on his wedding finger, explaining its backstory as:
We think it was my grandfather’s, because it was in a box of things that my dad left. I wear it or a few others I have because when I’m not shooting, I like to make sure I have something on my ring finger, because I’m proud to be married, and I’m proud of who I’m married to. I’m just so proud of her.
Inevitably enough, that is one cheer-worthy heart-swooning love story from Hollywood about the behind-the-scenes life of the very person who embodied the fan-favorite private and incredibly strong and intimidating leading character of Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS for a stunning 19 seasons spread over the course of almost two decades.
For what it’s worth, who knew the onscreen toughcore could be such a softie romantic on the inside?!
Summer School can currently be watched on Prime Video.
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