David McCallum

David McCallum September 19 1933 September 25 2023 was a Scottish actor and musician He gained wide recognition in the 1960s for playing secret agent Illya Kuryakin in the television series The Man from UNCLE His other notable television roles include Carter in Colditz 19721974 and Steel in Sapphire Steel 19791982 Beginning in 2003 McCallum gained renewed international popularity for his role as NCIS medical examiner Dr Donald Ducky Mallard in the American television series NCIS On film McCallum notably appeared in The Great Escape 1963 He was born in Glasgow Scotland to David McCallum Sr an orchestral violinist and Dorothy née Dorman a cellist He began his acting career in the early 1950s appearing in British television shows and films In 1957 he moved to Hollywood to pursue a career in American cinema His breakthrough role came in 1964 when he was cast as Illya Kuryakin in The Man from UNCLE The show was a huge success and he became an international star After the show ended in 1968 he continued to act in films and television shows but he never achieved the same level of success In 2003 he was cast as Dr Donald Ducky Mallard in NCIS The show was a critical and commercial success and McCallum became one of the most popular members of the cast He remained with the show for a 20year run and became the longestserving cast member In addition to his acting career he was also a musician He has released several albums of folk and pop music and he also toured extensively