According to a statement from the network, renowned actor David McCallum, best known for his part in the venerable CBS series “NCIS,” has died at the age of 90. Peter McCallum, McCallum’s son, expressed sincere feelings about his father, calling him a kind, kind, and loving father who always put his family first.
According to CBS, McCallum passed away at the New York Presbyterian Hospital accompanied by his family and due to natural causes. The network highlighted his global fame, the enduring legacy he leaves behind through his family, and the substantial amount of work he contributed to film and television in order to honor his outstanding talents as an author and actor.
Scottish-born McCallum rose to recognition in the US thanks to a string of appearances on British television. In the spy series “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,” where he co-starred as agent Illya Kuryakin with Robert Vaughn’s dapper spy Napoleon Solo, he had his breakthrough in the 1960s. McCallum received two Emmy nominations for the program because of his performance.
McCallum continued to continuously work in the entertainment industry after his triumph in “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,” making prominent appearances in movies including “The Great Escape” and “A Night to Remember.” In “The Sixth Finger,” a classic episode of the science fiction anthology series “The Outer Limits,” he also made a remarkable cameo as a regular man who experiences accelerated evolution.
The NBC series “The Invisible Man,” which featured ground-breaking special effects but only aired for one season, landed McCallum the lead role in 1975. He unexpectedly made a comeback to television with his role as Chief Medical Examiner Donald “Ducky” Mallard in the CBS procedural “NCIS.” Ducky, played by McCallum, rose to prominence on the program as the team of detectives’ wise and eccentric patriarch.
Eight grandchildren, three sons (Paul, Valentine, and Peter McCallum), his daughter Sophie McCallum, and his wife of 56 years, Katherine McCallum, all survive David McCallum.
