Mark Harmon’s Pampering On ‘NCIS: Origins’ Set Has Got Costars on the New Show ‘In a Cranky Mood’

Mark Harmon is getting a brief stint on NCIS: Origins and the royal treatment from bosses, which has stars from the original series steamed and blasting the T.V. veteran for stealing their thunder. 

“Bosses have been waiting a long time to get Mark back in front of the camera and they’re making a big to-do over him” the source says. 

“To say Mark’s being pampered would be an understatement.” 

Mark, 73, will briefly reprise his long-running role as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the prequel reboot, three years after the original show, which first premiered in 2003, ended its T.V. tenure.

The NCIS alum is also executive producer on the new show, requiring him to pay most of his attention behind the scenes, but will have a short cameo to hand over the reins to the new series star, Austin Stowell, playing a younger version of Mark’s legendary character.

The source says bosses are over the moon after convincing Mark to be on screen, saying, “They’ve been catering to his every need, masseuse, dog walker, espresso machine, anything he wants to make himself feel comfortable on the set.” 

While fans are giddy NCIS: Origins is set to premiere Monday, October 14, not everyone is thrilled the veteran actor is making a return to the series.

“Origins is already getting great buzz and Mark’s a big part of that, but the original cast is annoyed and questioning Mark’s loyalty to their show,” the source explains.

Mark’s former costar, Michael Weatherly, who recently reprised his role as Senior Field Agent Anthony DiNozzo alongside costar Cote de Pablo’s character Ziva David in the 10-episode spin-off series NCIS: Europe, found himself iced out by his former on-screen boss.  

“I was like a little kid who had one too many bowls of Count Chocula,” Michael, 56, said about his time filming the original NCIS, when he was not taking the job as seriously as workaholic Mark would have liked.

“As far as he’s concerned, Michael is a toxic pain in the butt,” a second source previously told Closer. “He’s nothing but trouble.” 

In 2018, CBS was forced to pay Michael’s Bull costar Eliza Dushku $9.5 million after she accused him of sexual harassment. While Mark had his own brush with #MeToo, the source confirmed that, “he considers Michael a loose cannon.”

While Mark has been spared from starring alongside Michael once again, the first source says the Freaky Friday actor hasn’t been making life easy for his other former costars, Sean Murray and Wilmer Valderrama, who think the screen icon has been receiving too much praise

“It comes at a time when Sean’s getting more screen time so he naturally thinks he should be getting some credit,” the source continues, “while Wilmer has long believed he’s the savior of NCIS.” 

The exact nature of Mark’s appearance on the show remains a mystery, but the insider says that even though his cameo is expected to be short, it isn’t helping things on set as far as his costars are concerned.

“It’s got everyone on NCIS in a cranky mood.”