- David McCallum was a Scottish actor
- He was best known for his work on 'NCIS'
- McCallum has recently died
McCallum most recently appeared in the final two episodes of 'NCIS' 20th season last spring. He has now sadly passed away at New York Presbyterian Hospital of natural causes. "For over 20 years, David McCallum endeared himself to audiences around the world playing the wise, quirky, and sometimes enigmatic, Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard," said 'NCIS' current exec producers, Seven D. Binder and David North, in a statement.
"But as much as his fans may have loved him, those who worked side by side with David loved him that much more. He was a scholar and a gentleman, always gracious, a consummate professional, and never one to pass up a joke. 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."
David McCallum was one of Scotland's best
"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."
The statement continued, "He was a true renaissance man—he was fascinated by science and culture and would turn those passions into knowledge. For example, he was capable of conducting a symphony orchestra and (if needed) could actually perform an autopsy, based on his decades-long studies for his role on 'NCIS'."
"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."
'NCIS' executive producers Steven D. Binder and David North also shared their memories of working with McCallum. "For over twenty years, David McCallum endeared himself to audiences around the world playing the wise, quirky, and sometimes enigmatic, Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard," they said in a statement. "But as much as his fans may have loved him, those who worked side by side with David loved him that much more. He was a scholar and a gentleman, always gracious, a consummate professional, and never one to pass up a joke."
Also interesting:
He was only 26
"Ducky" is back!
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'NCIS': You'll Be Surprised By How David McCallum Looked Young
The legend that was David Keith McCallum Jr. was a Scottish actor and musician. He gained worldwide recognition in the 1960s for playing secret agent "Illya Kuryakin" in the television series 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' His other notable television roles from his early career include "Carter" in 'Colditz' and "Steel" in 'Sapphire & Steel'.
'The Great Escape' and 'A Night to Remember' where also in his repertoire. He also starred in a memorable episode of the eerie sci-fi anthology series 'The Outer Limits,' "The Sixth Finger" playing an ordinary man who volunteers to undergo evolutionary advancement at accelerated speed. In more recent times, he was best know for playing "Ducky" on 'NCIS'.
His life is one of the most enviable in the entire history of television. McCallum is survived by his wife of 56 years Katherine McCallum, three sons (Paul McCallum, Valentine McCallum and Peter McCallum), his daughter Sophie McCallum and eight grandchildren, and fans will dearly miss him as well.
