NCIS mourns ‘Ducky’: David McCallum dies at age 90

Long before joining Gibbs’ team, the Scottish-born actor began his career in 1946 and had his hour of glory on television in the 1960s with the spy series The Man From UNCLE

Season 21 of NCIS, expected in 2024, will begin in mourning. One of the historic members of the cast has just passed away. The actor David McCallum, known to the world as “Ducky,” died of natural causes in New York on Monday. He was 90 years old.

“He was the kindest, coolest, most patient and loving father. He always put family before himself. He looked forward to any opportunity to reconnect with his grandchildren and maintained a bond unique with each of them. He and his youngest grandson, Whit, 9, often found themselves in the corner of a room at family parties to have deep philosophical conversations,” reacted one of his sons. “He was also a true Renaissance man: he was fascinated by science and culture. He was even capable of performing an autopsy, based on his studies for his role in NCIS.”

But before being Gibbs’ Dr Mallard, the Scotsman began his professional acting career at the age of 12, in 1946, for the BBC. It was in 1963 that his career took off thanks to The great Escape, alongside Steve McQueen. He plays Lieutenant Colonel Pitt, aka “Dispersion”.

In the process, David McCallum explodes in the heart of the 1960s and the Cold War, on the small screen, playing Illya Kuryakin in the spy series The Man From UNCLE (Very special agents in France) alongside Robert Vaughn (who played Napoleon Solo). The show became a true pop culture phenomenon over the course of 4 seasons, even giving birth to a spin-off, “The Girl From UNCLE”, with Stefanie Powers, then – years later – to a modern remake led by Henry Cavill .

The career of David McCallum will experience a second youth at the start of the 21st century. He is cast to play the role of the pathologist of the NCIS. The channel isn’t sure it wants this.”old actor” of the sixties to play Donald “Ducky” Mallard. But the creator, Donald P. Bellisario, pressured him to stay. He appeared in more than 450 episodes of NCIS and was one of the last historical figures from the drama still in the cast.

After seven decades of playing, he said he continued “because I absolutely love what I do. I do what I was born to do.”

A classically trained musician, playing the oboe and English horn, he had also recorded four albums.

David McCallum leaves behind four children and 8 grandchildren. And for the first time since its creation in 2003, NCIS will do a season without Ducky next year.