Mark Harmon once said he had to “kiss a lot of frogs” before finding her

You know how most Hollywood marriages flame out before you even remember the wedding photos? This is not one of those stories.

Mark Harmon and Pam Dawber got married back in 1987. Nearly forty years later, they’re still together, still low-key, still doing things their own way. Which honestly feels rarer than any award in Hollywood.

How They Met

We know Mark as Gibbs from NCIS — controlled, quiet, all business. Pam is forever iconic from Mork & Mindy. But the most impressive thing either of them ever did wasn’t on a soundstage. It was choosing a life that stayed mostly out of sight.

They didn’t meet at some flashy premiere or industry party. A mutual friend introduced them in 1986. Both in their 30s. Both famous. Both pretty much done with the Hollywood dating circus.

Mark once joked that he had to “kiss a lot of frogs” before finding Pam. But once he did, that was it. No drama. No will-they-won’t-they. They got married a year later, quietly, without helicopters or magazine exclusives. Pam had seen how public Hollywood seeps into marriages and decided early on that she wanted none of it.

And then they made a choice you almost never see anymore.

When their sons, Sean and Ty, were born, Pam stepped away from acting. Not because she had to — because she wanted to. She’s been very open about it. She didn’t want someone else raising her kids while she pulled 14-hour days on set. She wanted to be there. School runs, dinners, normal life.

Mark kept working, of course. NCIS ran for years, paid the bills, and gave them stability. But they had a rule: work stays at work. Home was home.

Years later, their son Sean showed up on NCIS playing a young Gibbs. One of those full-circle moments that feels almost too perfect — except with this family, it somehow fits.

They’ve never chased attention. When they do pop up in public — like that Rolling Stones concert years back — it’s almost jarring, like spotting a unicorn. They look exactly like what they are: a long-married couple who actually enjoy each other.

Now they’re grandparents. Sean recently welcomed a baby boy, and the family quietly grew again. No press tour. No announcement rollout. Just life continuing, the same way they’ve always handled it.

And there’s this small detail I’ve always loved.

If you look closely at Mark when he’s not filming, he often wears this eagle-head ring. He’s said he wears it simply because he’s proud to be married. No symbolism for the cameras. No brand tie-in. Just a guy who likes being someone’s husband.

In an industry where relationships are usually content, that kind of privacy feels almost rebellious. And somehow, it explains everything about why this one actually lasted.