Mark Harmon has finally opened up about his departure from NCIS, and fans are emotional over his reasoning. The longtime star, who played Leroy Jethro Gibbs for nearly two decades, revealed that he felt it was the right time to step away and allow the show to evolve. Harmon admitted that while he loved the character, he didn’t want to overstay his welcome and believed Gibbs’ story had reached a natural conclusion. He also mentioned wanting to spend more time with his family and focus on other personal projects. Despite stepping away from the main cast, Harmon remains an executive producer and hasn’t ruled out the possibility of returning in the future.