Mark Harmon is a legend of the NCIS franchise, playing Leroy Jethro Gibbs from 2003 to 2021 and appearing in spinoffs NCIS: New Orleans and NCIS: Origins.
The upcoming spinoff NCIS: Tony & Ziva, debuting on Paramount+ in September, stars Michael Weatherly and Cote De Pablo. At San Diego Comic-Con 2025, the pair – joined by showrunner Jack McNamara – shared a heartwarming tribute to Harmon.
The actors performed a hand gesture that was an inside joke from an NCIS episode. Weatherly explained it came from Harmon’s “sign language thing,” while De Pablo recalled how Gibbs once used it to communicate with them on a bus. Since then, she said, “Every time Michael and I – we could be anywhere in the world – and I’ll just go (does gesture) and we know.”
Harmon’s Ongoing Influence
Harmon may have left NCIS in 2021, but his presence remains. He returned as narrator and executive producer for NCIS: Origins, and Weatherly and De Pablo’s tribute shows the impact he still has on them. Whether Harmon appears in Tony & Ziva is unknown, but it’s possible.
Why the Tribute Matters
The gesture not only honors Harmon but highlights the close bond between Weatherly and De Pablo. Their enduring chemistry after two decades will be key to Tony & Ziva’s success, and their connection to Harmon roots the spinoff in the franchise’s legacy.
