Sterling K Brown calls Mark Harmon 'the nicest man' as he recalls his career-changing advice 

Sterling K Brown has good things to say about Mark Harmon.

The This Is Us actor spoke to People Magazine ahead of the release of his new show, Washington Black, where he reflected on the importance of fostering an inclusive environment on set for everyone, regardless of their role. He told the outlet that he learned this lesson from Harmon, 73, whom he worked with in 2013 on NCIS.

"I can remember, I did a guest spot on NCIS, and people will say this ... Mark Harmon was the nicest man ever," he told the outlet. "I was sitting on a rock eating lunch and he was like, 'What are you sitting on the rock for?' I was like, 'All right, man. The rock is comfortable.' He'd just go and grab a chair, pull it over, pull it next to him and his friends. He was like, 'Come on man, sit, join us.'" He went on, "He was just creating that environment where you were appreciated. It was something that he did naturally."

Sterling K Brown then recounted the advice Harmon gave him, which he said stuck with him throughout his career:

"I remember asking him one time — he's like, 'So many people complain about what they do and the hours.' He's like, 'There's nothing wrong with loving what you do,'" Brown recalled. "And that's always a bar that just stuck with me and resonated. I was like, oh, you know what? There is nothing wrong with loving what I do. I think I can carry that forward."

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Here's everything we know about Washington Black, as Sterling K Brown says he wants to shift the narrative on Black experiences:

In his interview with People Magazine, Sterling K Brown opened up about how he uses Mark Harmon's principles in his own career nowadays:

"I have been on sets where I felt incredibly welcome and seen and it made showing up for work that much easier. I've been on sets where I was like, these people could give a flying fig Newton if I'm here or not. And it may just seem like, 'Okay, now I'm showing up to make this paycheck so I can qualify for my insurance.' The former is much more appreciated than the latter."

He went on,

"And so I felt like when I had the opportunity to be someone who was — this was their home set, this is a place where people were coming and being guests, what have you — make them feel welcome, make them feel seen and appreciated, it makes the work easier," he continued. "It makes the work easier, knowing that someone wants me here and someone is happy to have me here, so you don't have to worry about that."

Sterling K Brown said of his colleagues:

"Now I can just focus on this thing that is this character, that is this storyline. How do I bring this scene to life in the best way possible? Knowing that I have people here who are rooting for me and wanting to see me succeed makes success an easier thing to achieve."

Washington Black is a TV series adaptation of the acclaimed Canadian novel of the same name, written by Esi Edugyan. It explores themes of freedom, imagination, and the importance of fostering human connection. It features the Emmy-winning actor alongside up-and-coming actor Ernest Kingsley Jr.

As reported by CBC, for Sterling K Brown, joining and serving as the executive producer on the Disney+ series came from a place of wanting to voice a different kind of Black experience:

"There've been a lot of stories about the institution of slavery," Sterling K Brown acknowledged. "A lot of them understandably focus on the pain and the trauma. But I think I've been hearing from my community for a long time ... I need stories that are different."

He also underscored the necessity of showcasing resilience and dreaming big:

"I don't need stories that are just painful and traumatic to put out there into the world, as if that is the totality of our experience. Our experience is bigger than that."

The eight-episode limited series hit the platform today, and as of this writing, is already available to stream. It sees Sterling K Brown's character, Medwin Harris, serve as the mentor to Kingsley's character, George Washington "Wash" Black. It chronicles Wash's journey as he's forced to abscond from his home at the tender age of 11 before he encounters Medwin.

It also stars Tom Ellis, Rupert Graves, Lola Evans, Edard Bluemel, and Sharon Duncan-Brewster. Author Edugyan said that she was happy to learn that her Scotiabank Giller Prize-winning novel had fallen into Sterling's hands:

"I was so delighted when Sterling K Brown's company wanted to option the book, because I really admire his work, and I just think he's one of the best actors of his generation," she said. "For me, one of the most important parts of the novel to write was the sections that are in Nova Scotia and this is because I really wanted to explore some of our own slave histories. During my research, you're reading about Canada as the terminus for the Underground Railroad and how incredible that was, but you're also reading about how difficult it was for so many of those formerly enslaved people to establish real lives free of conflict."

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