The world lost a beloved actor as David McCallum, famous for his roles in ‘NCIS’ and ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E,’ passed away at the age of 90. McCallum, born in Scotland in 1933, peacefully left this world, surrounded by his family, in a New York hospital.
David McCallum’s journey to stardom began with appearances on British television, but his breakthrough came in the United States with the espionage series ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E’ in the 1960s (1964 – 1968). He portrayed the character of agent Illya Kuryakin, the counterpart to the amiable spy Napoleon Solo, played by the late Robert Vaughn. His performance earned him several Emmy nominations.
He also graced the big screen with notable roles in films like ‘The Great Escape’ and ‘A Night to Remember.’ During those years, it’s said that he received more fan mail than iconic figures like Clark Gable, Robert Taylor, and Elvis Presley.
After a successful run in ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E,’ McCallum returned to television as the lead in the 1975 series ‘The Invisible Man,’ which featured pioneering special effects but lasted only one season. His final triumph came with the crime series ‘NCIS,’ where McCallum portrayed the eccentric chief medical examiner, Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard. He played the role of a patriarch to the show’s detectives.
‘NCIS’ has been a staple on CBS since 2003.
David McCallum, a native Scot, had already made a name for himself in notable films, including a supporting role in ‘The Great Escape,’ before he truly soared to stardom in the mid-1960s thanks to the spy series ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ He portrayed the Russian spy Ilya Kuryakin, who, alongside his American counterpart Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn), fought against criminals seeking to dominate the world. The TV series even received a remake as a feature film in 2015.
After four seasons and over a hundred episodes, the series concluded, leading McCallum to take on various supporting roles in popular TV shows such as ‘Matlock,’ ‘Murder She Wrote,’ ‘Law and Order,’ and ‘Sex and the City’ in the following years.
Interestingly, McCallum was also a musical talent. In the 1960s, he recorded four albums for Capitol Records, featuring instrumental interpretations of popular songs and his original compositions. His track ‘The Edge’ later became a sample in one of hip-hop’s most famous songs, Dr. Dre’s ‘The Next Episode.’
In the late 1990s, McCallum became a naturalized American citizen, expressing his desire to live and vote in the United States.
His career received a new lease on life in the early 2000s when he was cast as the forensic pathologist Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard in the military police series ‘NCIS.’ The show became one of the most-watched TV series in the United States, with McCallum appearing in twenty seasons and over 450 episodes.
David McCallum, with his distinctive bowties and enduring charm, will forever be remembered as a beloved actor who left an indelible mark on both the big and small screens.