The Famous Family You Didn't Know Is Related To NCIS Star Mark Harmon

Hollywood tends to make strange bedfellows out of its citizens. One of the most interesting family trees in Hollywood belongs to Mark Harmon, whose sisters married two very famous men.

The Harmon clan already sprang from famous roots. A critical truth about Mark Harmon is that he and his two sisters, Kristin and Kelly, were the children of B-movie actress Elyse Knox and Los Angeles Rams star, Heisman Trophy winner, and football commentator Tom Harmon. Kristin married "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" co-star and rock pioneer Rick Nelson in 1963; she ultimately appeared as a version of herself on the long-lived sitcom and portrayed a version of herself in its waning days. While Rick and Kristin produced a brood who kept the Nelson name in the public eye (musicians Matthew and Gunnar and actors Tracy and Sam), their marriage was a fraught and troubled one marred by drug issues. In 1980, Kristin Nelson filed for divorce from Rick Nelson; the acrimonious split was finalized in 1982. 

Kelly Harmon, meanwhile, became an actress who is perhaps best known as a spokeswoman for Tic Tacs. She married John DeLorean in 1969; her union with the automotive executive whose iconic cars, including the DeLorean DMC-12 from "Back to the Future," would go on to define the 1980s, lasted until 1972. She has been married to Bob Miller since 1984.

Mark Harmon's famous family tree doesn't end with his sisters and the men they married; Harmon himself has been with actress Pam Dawber since 1986. Initially, he told People Magazine, the twosome were set up on a blind date, but Harmon asked his friend for her number instead; he left a message on her answering machine, she picked up, they went out for coffee, and their love story continued from there.  Dawber eventually appeared in multiple episodes of "NCIS" opposite Harmon. The couple has two children — Sean Harmon, who works as an actor and stunt coordinator, and Ty, a screenwriter.

But not all of Harmon's family ties have played out harmoniously. In 1987, the Los Angeles Times reported, Harmon and Dawber filed to gain custody of Sam Nelson, then 12, from Kristin Nelson. The suit was eventually dropped, and family unity was reinstated. Kristin maintained her sobriety, and all parties were close and on speaking terms by the time of her unexpected death in 2018.