Mark Harmon Opens Up About His Longtime Friendship With Jamie Lee Curtis

Hollywood has plenty of flashy romances that fizzle out, but the real friendships between co-stars can stick around for decades in a much quieter way. Mark Harmon and Jamie Lee Curtis are a perfect example of that. Both have said for years that nothing romantic ever happened between them. They simply enjoy each other’s company and respect the work.

Harmon has been married to actress Pam Dawber since 1987. They met through a mutual friend, got together when both were already established in their careers, and have stayed together ever since.

He once told People that getting married in their thirties helped them skip some of the earlier nonsense. “We were both in our 30s when we got married, so hopefully the stupid stuff, we did earlier. That’s probably the closest I have to what the key is,” he said. They have two sons, Sean and Ty, and have always preferred keeping family life mostly private.

Curtis has been married to Christopher Guest since 1984. She has shared the story of spotting his picture in Rolling Stone, pointing at it, and telling a friend she was going to marry that man. After a couple of near misses they finally connected at a restaurant, and the rest followed. They have two adopted daughters and have kept their marriage out of the spotlight for the most part.

The two actors first worked together in the 2003 remake of Freaky Friday. Harmon played the fiancé of Curtis’s character opposite Lindsay Lohan. Director Mark Waters has said Tom Selleck was originally attached but stepped away once Annette Bening left the project, and Harmon came in. The movie turned into a solid hit, pulling in about $160.8 million worldwide, and critics especially liked Curtis’s performance.

Years later Harmon brought her onto NCIS for a short run in season nine. She played Dr. Samantha Ryan, a Pentagon psychologist who crossed paths with Gibbs. Harmon spoke warmly about having her around. “She’s terrific,” he said. “I’ve known Jamie a long time. She’s a treat to have on set. The rest of the cast loves her.” He called her “a gift to have on the set” and “such a rare talent.” Curtis returned the feeling. She told Entertainment Tonight she was happy to be working with him and admitted he made her blush a little. “Because he’s just such a sweet guy. I’m very fond of him and he’s fond of me.”

Their easy rapport goes back well before either of those projects. Harmon has said he has known her since she was a teenager, and the comfort has stayed consistent through the years. Curtis has also talked about plans for a Freaky Friday sequel, though it remains to be seen exactly how the original cast will fit into it.