How Mark Harmon and His Wife Pam Dawber Make Their 34-Year Marriage Work

From The Pioneer Woman

Mark Harmon is the kind of guy who knows a good thing when he's got it. That's exactly why he's still playing special agent Leroy Gibbs on NCIS, after 18 years on the beloved CBS procedural. And it also probably speaks to why he's been married to the same wonderful woman, fellow actor Pam Dawber, for more than 34 years!

In honor of Mark and Pam's epic romance, let's take a look back at where it all started, at the height of their fame in the '80s.

How did Mark Harmon meet his wife?

Pam and Mark met at a party thrown by a mutual friend. Pam had made a list of qualities she was looking for in a man, including strength, intelligence, independence, sensitivity, sensuousness, warmth, and a sense of humor, according to Closer Weekly. No doubt, you won't be surprised to hear that Mark checked off every box and then some!

When did they get married?

Mark and Pam tied the knot in 1987 in an intimate wedding ceremony with just a few friends and family members.

At the time, Mark and Pam were two of the hottest stars on network television. Pam had just wrapped the hit show Mork & Mindy, in which she starred opposite Robin Williams. Mark was fresh from roles in Moonlighting and St. Elsewhere, which had led to him being named People's Sexiest Man Alive in 1986.

But despite their high profiles, the couple have always kept things super low key when it comes to their relationship. "We're not trying to keep something secret, but if you don't want it totally exploited by the press, you have to," Pam said in an interview with People while the two were still engaged.

Decades later, Mark echoed his wife's sentiments in a 2017 interview with TV Insider.

"It's not even a choice," Mark said of remaining under the radar with his wife. "It's who we are. We stay home. A lot. And I'm not a Twitter guy or a Facebook guy."

Well, they must have done something right, because the couple just celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary on March 21! Asked about the secret to a happy, long-lasting marriage, Mark told People in 2019,“We were both in our thirties when we got married, so hopefully the stupid stuff we did earlier. That’s probably the closest I have to what the key is.”

Do Mark and Pam have kids?

Yes! Mark and Pam have two sons, Sean Thomas Harmon, 32 (He's played a young Gibbs in several NCIS episodes!), and Ty Christian Harmon, 28.

In an interview with ET in 2016, Pam opened up about her decision to leave Hollywood to stay home and raise the couple's sons.

"I don't think two people can work all the time in show business and stay married," she said. "I was in a number one show. I had my own deal. I got to do Broadway. I got to do musical theater. I got to do cartoon voices. I did everything you can do in this business, and then I had children and it's like, 'I'm not going to chase this fame thing.'"

"I wanted to drive my kids to school. I wanted to be there for their birthdays and bring cupcakes and donuts and do the school festivals and all that, and I did," she added. "I got to teach in their art class and so it was a different life then and I was very happy to do it."

It sounds like Pam has led such a fulfilling life as a mom. But now that her kids are all grown up, she's returning to her acting roots with a four-episode arc on NCIS alongside her husband's character, Gibbs. She’ll play Marcie Warren, “a seasoned investigative journalist who uses her savvy wit and down-to-earth people skills to aid in her tireless pursuit of truth.” Her appearance will mark the first time Pam and Mark have been on NCIS together, despite his 18-year tenure on the show. Can you believe it?

We're so excited to see Pam and Mark bring their chemistry to the screen. How about you? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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