Mark Harmon’s Strict Sick Day Policy on NCIS

Mark Harmon’s extremely serious approach to work has sometimes led to friction with other “NCIS” personnel. Michael Weatherly and Harmon’s relationship occasionally faced challenges due to their differing work styles—Weatherly’s more light-hearted approach contrasted with Harmon’s seriousness. Pauley Perrette, who played Abby Sciuto, left “NCIS” after clashing with Harmon, and there are even rumors suggesting Harmon was involved in getting “NCIS” creator Donald P. Bellisario fired before Season 5.

In the case of Cote de Pablo, her understanding and approach seemed more focused on keeping production running smoothly. She acknowledged Harmon’s serious attitude towards work, recognizing the importance of the main cast’s presence during filming. “By the way, I don’t think I ever got sick again,” she mentioned on a podcast. “But I think, mentally, it just did a trick on you. And when you think about it, you know, anyone in production can do a job, better, worse, whatever. But no one can play McGee [Sean Murray], no one can play DiNozzo [Michael Weatherly]. No one can play any of the characters. So you really had to be there, and that’s a lot of pressure.”