For nearly four decades, veteran actor Mark Harmon has enjoyed a forever fairytale with his wife, Pam Dawber. The couple first met through a mutual friend back in the mid-80s and soon started dating. Harmon and Dawber went on to get married in 1987 before welcoming two sons, Sean Harmon and Ty Harmon. Despite their many years together, Harmon and Dawber remain just as smitten with each other today as they were in those early stages. So much so that you would be hard-pressed to catch the “NCIS” star sans his wedding band. According to the actor, this is only one of the many ways he shows his commitment to Dawber. “I like to make sure I have something on my ring finger, because I’m proud to be married, and I’m proud of who I’m married to. I’m just so proud of her,” Harmon gushed during an interview with People in 2019.
As for the key to their long-lasting love, Harmon once attributed it to how mature they both were. “We were both in our thirties 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 explained. That said — before settling down with Dawber, Harmon was involved with several of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Here’s a look back at the actor’s star-studded dating history!
Mark Harmon had a long-term romance Cristina Raines
Mark Harmon’s first high-profile romance came in the ’70s when he dated singer Karen Carpenter. Details of the pair’s romance are not widely known as it was presumably short-lived. After his relationship with Carpenter ended, Harmon briefly dated actor Morgan Fairchild in 1979 before moving on to his first known long-term relationship with Cristiana Raines.
Harmon and Raines started dating in 1980 and were together for four years before calling it quits in 1984. Despite their short-lived love story, Harmon and Raines had nothing but sweet words for each other. In 1986, the “NCIS” star opened up about his relationship with Raines, whom he credited for teaching him to appreciate the beauty in life. “Tina taught me how to stop and notice the oak trees and smell the flowers. …She will always be a very special lady to me,” he said in a 1986 sit-down with People.
Similarly, in 2014, Raines looked back on her time working with Harmon on the 1980 show “Flamingo Road,” commending the actor for his incredible work ethic. “He’s present, he’s there, he’s very generous and he’s very giving as an actor. I also remember him as being a very detail-oriented and perceptive individual. Mark’s a great actor and a great guy,” she explained to Hill Place.
Mark Harmon reportedly once called Heather Locklear an emotional cup of coffee
Following his relationship with Cristina Raines, Mark Harmon had a fling with Heather Locklear, best known for her role as Sammy Jo in the 1981 show “Dynasty.” The pair’s romance kicked off in December 1984, lasting only a few weeks, as revealed by Harmon in his 1986 interview with People. Speaking of the romance, Harmon described it as unremarkable, noting that Locklear “was just an emotional cup of coffee to me.” Unsurprisingly, this comment did not sit well with Locklear and many others.
Later that year, Harmon retracted his comments during an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” During the interview, Joan Rivers — who was guest-hosting at the time — asked the “NCIS” star to clarify his coffee statement. “I read somewhere that you had a big affair with Heather Locklear, and you said that having her was like having a cup of coffee. Now, what does that mean?” Rivers inquired.
Responding to the question, Harmon explained that his words had been misinterpreted, noting that he did not refer to Locklear as a cup of coffee. “What I said is they asked, it got right down to the last question, and I got ‘New York wants to know about Cristina Raines and Heather Locklear.’ And I said, ‘I find it funny that you put both of them in the same category. One, I spent four years of my life — and she taught me how to slow down and smell the flowers, and she is a very special lady. And the other one I had a cup of coffee with,” he shared.
