How Mark Harmon Really Got His First Acting Job

Mark Harmon gives partial credit to his sister for putting him in a situation that resulted in his first professional acting job on "Ozzie's Girls," the spinoff of "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," reportedParade. In 1963, the "NCIS" actor's eldest sister, Kristin Harmon, wed Ricky Nelson, a notable pop sensation in the late '50s

Mark Harmon gives partial credit to his sister for putting him in a situation that resulted in his first professional acting job on "Ozzie's Girls," the spinoff of "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," reported Parade. In 1963, the "NCIS" actor's eldest sister, Kristin Harmon, wed Ricky Nelson,  a notable pop sensation in the late '50s and '60s, per the Daily News. Kristin and Ricky finalized their divorce in 1982 after 19 years of marriage. But it was their relationship that started Mark's acting career, as his sisters-in-law were Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, the stars of "Ozzie's Girls."

The Harmon and Nelson families began intermixing, which resulted in Ozzie approaching Mark one day at the beach for a small conversation. "We'd sit underneath my tower and we'd talk about big band music, as Ozzie started as a big band leader and Harriet was a vocalist," stated the "NCIS" star. Then, one day when his sister's father-in-law needed an actor on short notice for "Ozzie's Girls," Mark was the one he called as a replacement. He told Parade, "That changed my course."

While his sister's love connection sparked Mark's acting career, it wasn't always rainbows and sunshine for the family. According to People, Kristin struggled with drug and alcohol use, and it was Mark who encouraged her to go to rehab. She once said, "Nobody but my brother could have talked me into this because I trusted him." People also noted that Kristin sadly died from a heart attack at age 72 in 2018.

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