Mark Harmon’s Feud With NCIS Creator Donald P. Bellisario, Explained

“NCIS” creator Donald P. Bellisario once threatened to cancel the series over a casting decision, proving that he wielded some major influence over the folks at CBS back in the day. However, some rumors out there indicate that Mark Harmon, who played Leroy Jethro Gibbs on the show, had more clout than the acclaimed showrunner — and he used it to get him fired. In reality, though, the story isn’t as simple as that.

According to the scuttlebutt, Harmon and Bellisario’s feud stemmed from the Gibbs star being unhappy with the former “NCIS” showrunner over the behind-the-scenes working conditions. The cast and crew had to work long days, and Harmon reportedly felt that there was too much disorganization and chaos on the set. Bellisario parted ways with “NCIS” after four seasons shortly after, leading to the belief that CBS fired him from his own series at the behest of Harmon.