Mark Harmon has successfully acted on a television sitcom for 16 years and been married to his wife, Pam Dawber, for 32 years. It’s hard for television stars to stay on a show for so long, but it’s even harder for any actor to keep their private life under wraps as well. Harmon has managed to succeed at both. The actor has been married to Dawber, a former actress, for the past three decades and has portrayed Leroy Jethro Gibbs on the police-action series NCIS, one of the longest-running scripted television shows to date.
Most Hollywood marriages are rarely a success story, a sentiment that even Harmon agrees with. The actor shared with Closer Weekly that it’s hard for two people to work all the time in the entertainment business and attempt to stay married. Harmon and his wife explained how they’ve been able to keep their private life both happy and under the radar.
Mark Harmon and Pam Dawber know their priorities
The couple revealed that when it comes to their home life, they have made it a priority to never miss any important moments when it comes to their family. “It’s not even a choice. It’s who we are. We stayed at home. A lot. I’m not a Twitter guy or a Facebook guy. Our sons aren’t into that, either,” Harmon told the magazine. The actor is also very particular about what projects he takes. Harmon cites his parents as an inspiration for his own marriage and being able to keep a low-profile.
“My parents kept things real — I had no idea they were famous,” Harmon continued. Harmon’s father, Tom, was a pro football player and actor. His mother was a model, actress, and fashion designer.
Dawber, who starred on the sitcom Mork and Mindy opposite Robin Williams, shared that she decided to take a break from her career after her children were born. “I had children and it was 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 doughnuts. And I was very happy to do it,” Dawber stated.
Harmon and his wife will celebrate their wedding anniversary next month, marking 33 years of marriage. Gossip Cop has only had to address rumors about Harmon and wife a few times, which is a testament to how successful they’ve been with their strategy. When it comes to love stories such as Mark Harmon and Pam Dawber’s, they’re rarely well-received by the gossip media.
Hollywood hates a happy couple
It seems that when it comes to happy endings, the tabloids don’t seem to care for them. Another example of a long-lasting Hollywood relationship is Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, who have both remained somewhat in the public eye. The couple have been together since 1983 and share a son, Wyatt. Russell also raised Hawn’s two children from her previous marriage. Hawn and Russell are constantly in the tabloids, with frequent false reports stating that the two are breaking up. The couple has said that they tend to stay away from those false reports and don’t let them interfere with their lives — a successful strategy they share with Harmon and Dawber.