The recent announcement that Freaky Friday 2 is officially happening makes me excited to see many beloved characters return to the set, and it especially makes me feel better after Mark Harmon’s exit from NCIS. The original Freaky Friday follows the rebellious teenager Anna, played by Lindsay Lohan, and her worried mother, Tess, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, as the two of them are cursed to swap bodies. To switch back, they must learn to love each other selflessly. The first Freaky Friday was released more than two decades ago, making the wait for the confirmed Freaky Friday 2 long but worth it.

Freaky Friday 2 filming has begun and the Freaky Friday 2 cast and release date were recently revealed as well. Many of the main cast and their love interests are returning, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Chad Michael Murray, and Mark Harmon, among others. The first movie came out so long ago that many of the actors have since become known for significantly different roles than the ones they played in Freaky Friday. This is part of why I am so excited to see some of them return to their original roles – in particular Mark Harmon.

Mark Harmon Is Reprising His Role As Ryan In Freaky Friday 2

Ryan Is A Good Guy Who Is Just Trying His Best

Harmon is returning to his role as Ryan, the lovable partner of Tess and stepfather of Anna, in Freaky Friday 2. While most of Freaky Friday focuses on Anna and Tess’ lives, we get glimpses of Ryan’s relationship with Tess, his fiancée, and his relationship with Anna, his soon-to-be stepdaughter. Like all family comedies, Freaky Friday has a satisfying ending, but I am eager to see how their relationships have developed post-marriage in Freaky Friday 2. The Freaky Friday 2 teased character swap even reveals how this might happen.

It’s already been established that Ryan is a supportive partner, given how he surprises Tess with a promotional interview about her new book in Freaky Friday, and I’m looking forward to seeing more scenes of Ryan being the loving and supporting partner that he is. I’m also excited to see more about how Ryan and Anna’s stepfather-daughter relationship has developed over the years. It’ll be interesting to see how Harmon revisits his old character.

It’s A Wildly Different Role For Mark Harmon Than Leroy Jethro Gibbs In NCIS

Mark Harmon Is Known For Playing The Stoic And Private Gibbs

For the past two decades, Harmon has been known for playing Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a stoic and commanding special agent on NCIS. After NCIS has been on the air for so long, it can be hard to imagine Harmon playing anyone other than Gibbs, but knowing that he is returning for Freaky Friday 2 makes me feel a little bit better about Mark Harmon’s NCIS exit. The exit of Mark Harmon from NCIS has fortunately opened doors for different projects for him.

While Freaky Friday is known for being a lighthearted family comedy, NCIS is anything but. After watching NCIS for years, and associating Harmon with his serious role as Gibbs, it will be fun to watch Harmon transform into a fun, lovable stepfather in Freaky Friday 2. Seeing how Harmon interacts with his old character and the new relationships within the sequel is definitely something to look forward to. While it will be wildly different, it will be gratifying to see Harmon stretch his acting muscles and dip his toes back into the waters of comedy.