Mark Harmon biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Born on September 2, 1951, in Burbank, California, actor Mark Harmon faced some challenges growing up. His father, Tom Harmon, worked as a sports broadcaster. This meant that he often traveled, leaving his wife Elyse Knox, a former actress, to look after the couple's three children. Mark deeply felt his father's absence. Even when his father was home, their relationship was not easy. "He raised me hard, and when I say hard, I mean hard. I was taught to fight for everything," Harmon told People magazine.

The two, however, shared a love of sports. His father had won the 1940 Heisman Trophy for playing college football, and Mark was a stellar football player as well. He served as the starting quarterback for UCLA for two seasons, but Harmon decided against pursuing a career in professional football. During his youth, Harmon's sister Kristen began dating Ricky Nelson, the son of TV legends Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Nelson. Through this connection, Harmon was offered a walk-on role on the show Ozzie's Girls (1972–'73). Harmon had not previously considered acting, but the experience gave the athlete a taste for Hollywood.

Making it in Hollywood

Graduating with a degree in communications in 1974, Harmon turned down offers of up to $40,000 to train as a pro in order to try law school. He then left the law to work for an advertising agency. This also dissatisfied Harmon, who then took a job selling shoes to athletes. Feeling unfulfilled, Harmon decided to try his hand at more acting roles.

At the beginning of his acting career, Harmon looked to veteran actor Jack Webb, the star of the crime series Dragnet, for advice. Webb helped him land a guest spot on the crime drama Adam-12 (1968–1975). A string of guest appearances soon followed; typically the roles involved a silent, handsome stranger without speaking lines. "The guys I played didn't have names. I was the cop, the farmer," he told USA Today. His first notable television role came in 1977 with the movie Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years, for which he received an Emmy Award nomination.

Still, Harmon had yet to get his big break. To support himself, he worked as a roofer during the day, and honed his acting skills while performing in theatrical productions in the Los Angeles area at night. In 1981, he landed a leading role in the prime-time soap opera Flamingo Road, playing an ambitious politician who married into a wealthy Florida family. Morgan Fairchild starred as his wife and Cristina Raines appeared as his love interest.