Mark Harmon’s Secret Flop: The NCIS Star’s Career-Killing Movie

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Before Mark Harmon became famous for his role on NCIS, he started his film career with the 1987 comedy “Summer School,” which did well at the box office. However, the movies “The Presidio” and “Stealing Home” from 1988 didn’t do as well commercially or critically, hurting Harmon’s chances of becoming a movie star. The 1989 romantic comedy film “Worth Winning,” which was his last chance to prove himself in the movie industry, became a turning point for him.

As a dedicated movie enthusiast, I must confess that the film “Worth Winning” was a colossal disappointment and it left an indelible mark on Harmon’s acting career. Despite his long-standing presence in feature films spanning three and a half decades, his leading man status came to a halt with this particular movie. The only redeeming quality about “Worth Winning” is that its poor performance propelled Harmon back to television, where he has continued to shine brilliantly throughout more than five decades of his career.

‘Worth Winning’ Isn’t Worth Watching

In the same vein as when Mark Harmon shared screen time with Sean Connery in The Presidio, raising questions about his ability to captivate on the big screen, Worth Winning demonstrates that comedy isn’t necessarily one of his strong suits. In this film, Harmon portrays Taylor Worth, a good-looking bachelor and TV meteorologist in Philadelphia, who accepts a wager to win the hearts of three random women and propose marriage within a three-month span. Unlike the honest and steadfast character of Leroy Jethro Gibbs that Harmon played on NCIS, the self-absorbed and superficial Taylor in Worth Winning is revealed to be a manipulative charmer whose attempts at winning affection often fall short of his intended allure.

In essence, Harmon’s youthful attractiveness, which earned him the title of People‘s Sexiest Man Alive in 1986, aligns well with this role. However, his portrayal in Worth Winning carries a hint of slick charisma that echoes Harmon’s chilling performance as Ted Bundy in the 1986 miniseries The Deliberate Stranger. Despite Taylor’s eventual moral transformation, the film’s questionable premise, where Taylor surreptitiously records fake marriage proposals to win a wager, leaves a sour taste. By the time Taylor experiences his downfall and seeks redemption, the film appears utterly pointless.

‘Worth Winning’ Became a Big Box-Office Loser

As a passionate film enthusiast, I’d love to share an intriguing tidbit about the promotion of the movie “Worth Winning” back in 1989. Mark Harmon, who was quite popular then, hosted a special summer movie television event on Fox. During this program, he showcased sneak peeks and exclusive interviews from the highly anticipated 1989 summer film lineup, with the record-breaking release of “Batman” taking center stage. Towards the end of the hour-long broadcast, Harmon subtly hinted at a movie of his own that was set to hit theaters in the summer of ’89 – none other than “Worth Winning.” Unfortunately, due to some unexpected changes and intense competition, this film, initially scheduled for July release, got postponed and eventually released unceremoniously by Fox in October.

The film “Worth Winning,” which featured Harmon as the lead actor, had a disappointing run at the domestic box office, earning only $3.6 million – the lowest gross for any of his films in this role. This was followed closely by the approximately $7.4 million earned by “Stealing Home.” Remarkably, the theatrical release of “Worth Winning” – a release that was met with strongly negative critical feedback – was a complete flop, vanishing from theaters after only two weekends. In contrast to “Stealing Home,” which built up an avid fan base over time, “Worth Winning” is now largely forgotten and has scarcely been shown on television during the last 20 years.

‘NCIS’ Has Completely Overshadowed Mark Harmon’s Short-Lived Movie Career

During the late 1980s, Mark Harmon aspired to move from TV shows to leading roles in movies, much like Bruce Willis and Tom Selleck did at the time. However, unlike Selleck who struggled due to ill fortune and the nature of the films he was given, Harmon’s setbacks were mainly due to his struggle to transfer his captivating TV persona to the silver screen. Just as Selleck found limited success in feature films in the early 1990s following a series of box-office disappointments, Harmon went back to television acting in the 1990s, experiencing varying levels of success. Similar to Selleck, he spent the decade seeking an unforgettable role that could reshape his career path.

After the collapse of “Worth Winning”, Harmon then appeared alongside the iconic Elizabeth Taylor in the 1989 television movie “Sweet Bird of Youth”. Following this, he returned to television series with the cop drama “Reasonable Doubts” that aired for two seasons on NBC from 1991 to 1993.

Just as the character of Frank Reagan in “Blue Bloods” significantly impacted Selleck’s reputation, Harmon’s portrayal of Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS has essentially replaced all prior recollections of the actor, particularly his pursuit of leading roles in films during the late 1980s. The image of a sex symbol that characterized his brief film career is almost incompatible with Harmon’s long-running performance on NCIS spanning over 19 seasons, making it seem as though two distinct actors and careers are involved. Worth Winning can currently not be streamed, but NCIS is available for streaming on Paramount+.

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2025-04-23 19:32