Mark Harmon opened up about his marriage and personal tragedies

Actor Mark Harmon strongly believes that no job is worth missing the most important moments in life. He has been a role model for his children and for his family.

As reported by Closer Weekly, interviews with his closest family members, co-workers and friends revealed that the NCIS star puts his home life above everything else in his life.

Harmon has an aura of impeccable professionalism around him but he has always been befuddled by the concept of fame. His upbringing was simple although he was born to famous and popular parents.

The 66-year-old TV star was born in Burbank, California to sportscaster Tom Harmon and actress Elyse Knox on September 2, 1956.

His first experience of fame was when he was around eight years old. Harmon was traveling with his father in Ann Arbor and saw his car surrounded by people to catch a glimpse of his famous father.

Despite being the star of the No. 1 drama on television, Harmon chooses to lead a private life. He and his wife, Pam, have raised their sons, 30-year-old Sean and 25-year-old Ty, with the same values.

Harmon's romantic life did not start well. He was in a relationship with his Road co-star Cristina Rains before they split in 1984 after four years. He was searching for true love and met Pam in 1986 after a mutual friend set them up.

The couple tied the knot in 1987 and soon became the proud parents of Sean and Ty. Pam enjoyed some success on TV with projects like Mork & Mindy and My Sister Sam but left the limelight to focus on her family.

Harmon faced a family crisis when his sister, Kristin Nelson, got mixed up with drugs when she was married to rock and roll star Ricky Nelson. After Ricky's death in a plane crash in 1985, Kristin's drug problems snowballed.

Harmon entered his bid to legally get the custody of Kristin's son, Sam, who was 12 years old at that time. Harmon also convinced Kristin to get into rehab.

Eventually, Mark dropped his legal bid to gain Sam's custody so that Kristin could be closer to her son. Sam stayed close to his mother until her sudden death at the age of 72 on April 27, 2018.

Pam and Harmon had taken the right steps to steer their children away from drugs and other undesirable attractions by being hands-on parents.

Harmon's career took a dip in the 1990s but a guest appearance in The West Wing brought him back on the radar of producers. In 2003, Harmon bagged a role in NCIS but had a falling out with creator Donald Bellisario.

Harmon complained about the show not being shot in time and wanted a more professional environment on the set. Bellisario left the show and was replaced by Gary Glasberg.

The two shared a deep friendship until Glasberg lost his life at the age of 50 in 2016. The incident was very hard for Harmon.

Harmon has been an icon on TV for several years and his performances have earned him a People's Choice Award and a Prism Award.