Working for the Professional Bull Riders provided a lot of fun experiences and opportunities, including a visit to the set of one of my favorite television shows.
In 2010 the PBR was going to compete in Anaheim, California. A group that included bull riders, bull fighters and staff members were invited to visit the set of NCIS. It's probably hard to believe that the lead character Leroy Jethro Gibbs, who was played by Mark Harmon, remains one of my favorite TV characters of all time.
The visit was facilitated by the show's star Harmon. As the day went along, I sensed that it was members of the NCIS crew who were really the fans of the PBR. I'm not saying that Harmon wasn't a fan, but I sensed that he understood how important it was to his NCIS family, so he helped make it happen. We reciprocated during the weekend by providing tickets, backstage tours and chute access for the NCIS group.
Although it was set in Washington, D.C., the series was filmed in Valencia, California, at Santa Clarita Studios. We were able to meet and interact with Harmon, Michael Weatherly and Pauley Perrette, who were on set that day. They were all very kind and willing to pose for photographs. We were also given headsets that allowed us to hear the audio while they were filming.
The scene that we watched being filmed had Harmon's character interrogating a suspect. It was fascinating to watch Harmon go from chatting and laughing with members of our group to becoming Gibbs as he returned to the room to interrogate. Harmon spoke to everyone in our group which impressed me as he could have simply visited with the bull riders and bullfighters, who were our celebrities.
We were also taken on a tour by Leon Carroll Jr., a retired NCIS Agent and a technical advisor for the show. After serving in the United States Marine Corps, Carroll later joined the real-life NIS/NCIS agency and worked there for two decades before retiring. After retiring, he returned to help in the aftermath of 9/11 before retiring again. The character of NCIS Director Leon Vance is partly named after him, and Vance's habit of chewing on a toothpick is inspired by Carroll's real-life habit of chewing on a toothpick. In addition to the indoor filming locations, we were also shown exterior locations that are presented to viewers as Washington, D.C.
When I mentioned to Carroll how Harmon impressed me by speaking with everyone, Carroll said that what you see is what you get. He told me that if you are a guest at Harmon's house, that he spends the entire time ensuring that everyone has drinks, food, etc.
After watching filming, taking our tour, and getting pictures with the cast, we gathered outside where I had the duty of presenting Harmon with a copy of "Professional Bull Riders
The Official Guide to the Toughest Sport on Earth" written by my coworkers and friends Jeffrey Johnstone, who was the editor in chief of the PBR, and Keith Ryan Cartwright, who was the senior writer for the PBR and part of our tour group. When I handed him the book, Harmon quipped, "I knew the PBR before there was a book."
I then presented him with a big knife in a frame, a reference to Gibbs' Rule #9: "Never go anywhere without a knife." When presented with a big knife in a frame, Harmon laughed and said, "Now, that's a knife."
Before we left, Harmon was gracious enough to provide infamous Gibbs head slaps to myself and a couple of others. First, he asked, "Are you sure? It is pretty hard." We were all giddy as we nodded and communicated, "Please Mark Harmon strike us in the back of the head like Gibbs hits Anthony DiNozzo Jr. And let us film it to prove that it happened."
I think that one of the biggest disappoints we can experience is to finally meet someone who we have liked and admired and have them turn out to not be who we felt they were. I was so happy that was not the case with meeting and interacting with Mark Harmon and the rest of the NCIS family.
Receiving a Leroy Jethro Gibbs head slap from Gibbs himself, aka Mark Harmon, on NCIS set
Presenting Mark Harmon with a gift from the Professional Bull Riders
Preparing to receive head slap from Mark Harmon (Leroy Jethro Gibbs) on NCIS set
Do we think that they put this sign up just for my visit to the NCIS set?
Michael Weatherly (Anthony DiNozzo Jr.) on NCIS set
Michael Weatherly (Anthony DiNozzo Jr.) and Pauley Perrette (Abby Sciuto) on another visit to NCIS set