Actor revisits his ‘JAG’ character on another CBS series

Q: “JAG” spawned the original “NCIS,” but were you surprised to be asked to revive your “JAG” character — Navy man Harmon “Harm” Rabb Jr. — on “NCIS: Los Angeles” as it winds down its 10th season?

A: Scott (executive producer R. Scott Gemmill) was a writer on “JAG,” and he’s a friend, and we were talking and I guess it evolved from there. It didn’t come out of the blue, but I was thrilled and excited when this prospect first presented itself. I mean, who would have thought that I would wear this skin again? I certainly didn’t.

Q: Especially since it’s been 14 years since you last played the role, how was it for you to revisit Harm?

A: The fun part about this for me is that it’s a different Harm, an evolved Harm. He’s taken a new career path, and that was important. I really felt we had run the gamut on Harm being in the JAG corps, so as the character rides again, he is an XO (executive officer) on a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the Pacific. He has a host of new possibilities, and the stakes are bigger.

Q: How did you find it to combine Harm with such regular “NCIS: Los Angeles” characters as Callen and Sam (played by Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool J)?

A: It was fun. Those guys were great to work with … and the whole crew. It was a really enjoyable experience, and they couldn’t have made it any easier. They were very welcoming, and I hope it’s only the beginning. I hope there are more adventures to come, but it certainly was fun to do a big arc and not just a one-off (a single episode).