David McCallum, who was best known for playing Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard onNCIS, has died. He was 90.
“He was the kindest, coolest, most patient and loving father. He always put family before self. He looked forward to any chance to connect with his grandchildren, and had a unique bond with each of them,” his son Peter McCallum shared in a statement on behalf of the family. “He and his youngest grandson, Whit, 9, could often be found in the corner of a room at family parties having deep philosophical conversations.”
Sonja Flemming/CBS
“After returning from the hospital to their apartment, I asked my mother if she was OK before she went to sleep. Her answer was simply, ‘Yes. But I do wish we had had a chance to grow old together.’ She is 79, and dad just turned 90. The honesty in that emotion shows how vibrant their beautiful relationship and daily lives were, and that somehow, even at 90, Daddy never grew old.”
Michael Yarish/CBS via Getty
NCISexecutive producers Steven D. Binder and David North also shared their memories of working with McCallum.
They shared, “From day one, it was an honor to work with him and he never let us down. He was, quite simply, a legend. He was also family and will be deeply missed.”
Courtesy of CBS
“He led an incredible life, and his legacy will forever live on through his family and the countless hours on film and television that will never go away,” the statement continued. “We will miss his warmth and endearing sense of humor that lit up any room or soundstage he stepped onto, as well as the brilliant stories he often shared from a life well-lived. Our hearts go out to his wife Katherine and his entire family, and all those who knew and loved David.”
A previously announcedNCIS20th anniversary marathon scheduled for CBS’s Monday primetime block will now feature an “In Memoriam” card honoring McCallum.
After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and doing several years in repertory theater in the United Kingdom, the Scotland-born actor moved to America in 1961. He landed the role of Illya Kuryakin inThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.opposite Robert Vaughn. He earned two Emmy and a Golden nomination for the role.
He recalled in a January 2023 interview withThe Emmys, “I was out of work and had bills to pay, and [my friend, actor] Charlie Bronson knew that was the case. He said, ‘Why don’t we have lunch in the commissary at MGM and we’ll see what happens?’ So we went. When you’re a kid from Glasgow who’s watched movies growing up, and all of a sudden you’re in this cathedral which is the MGM commissary, with all the pictures on the wall and people walking around who you’ve seen on the screen — I just was carried away.”
NCISfans will remember McCallum as Chief Medical Examiner Donald “Ducky” Mallard who is a close friend ofMark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs and became a father figure to the cast of characters on the procedural. He recalled his interview with The Emmys how his character developed his signature look.
“Well, Don [Bellisario, creator ofNCIS] insisted on that hat. He said, “He’s got to wear a hat.” I said, “We’re shooting in two minutes.” He said, ‘Well, get a hat,’” he said. “So I went up to wardrobe and I found that [stone-colored Fedora-shaped safari hat], which is still, twenty years later, Ducky’s hat.”
“Now Ducky is retired. I decided to leave the show, and they said, ‘No, we’d like to make you the historian,’ which was very gratifying because it meant that CBS liked that I was around.”
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On the big screen, he took on roles inThe Greatest Story Ever Told,The Great Escape,Mosquito Squadron,Billy Budd,FreudandA Night to Remember.
He was also featured on television shows includingThe Education of Max Bickford,Sapphire and Steel,Colditz,Trainer,VR5,Motherlove,Kidnapped,The Outer Limits,Law & OrderandSex and the City, and was a voice actor on the Toon Disney showThe Replacements.
Off screen, McCallum recorded three albums of instrumental interpretations and originals, and published a novelOnce a Crooked Manin 2016.
There are no immediate plans for a memorial service — instead a celebration of life service will be held in the future. Donations can be made to theMarine Corps Scholarship Foundation.
source: people.com
