David McCallum disliked this one thing about Mark Harmon on the ‘NCIS’ set—the actual reason revealed
Throughout his long and successful career, late actor David McCallum played a number of memorable characters.
Everyone expected McCallum to follow in his parents’ footsteps, as his father, David Sr., was an orchestral violinist for the London Philharmonic Orchestra and his mother, Dorothy, a cellist. Not that he didn’t, because in addition to being a well-known figure in the film industry, he is also a musician who issued four albums with Capitol Records in the mid-1960s.
McCallum previously stated about his passion for music, “I always felt that if I failed as an actor, I could turn to music.”
However, acting became his passion from the moment he stepped on stage for the first time.
“I portrayed The Little Prince in Shakespeare’s King John at a local event where people performed skits and songs. My character was the tiny prince who had his eyes taken out by this evil guy, and I clearly did a good job because I received a standing ovation. “I was not older than eight,” he recalled.
“And I said, ‘Hey, hey, hey, this is sort of cool!’ I am not sure if I consciously realized it, but I would found the place I wanted to be: on stage, with the lights, make-up, and people. I still feel the same way today.”
He began his studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, England, but then transferred to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
The Scottish-born actor eventually moved to Hollywood to pursue his acting career. He had his debut in the series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., where he played secret agent Illya Kuryakin. For his outstanding performance, he received two Emmy nominations.
His most recent role was that of quirky Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard in the television series NCIS, where he costarred with Mark Harmon and Cote de Pablo.
Sadly, McCallum died on September 25, 2023.
He initially studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, England, but later transferred to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
The Scottish-born actor eventually left his home country to seek an acting career in Hollywood. He made his debut in the series The Man From U.N.C.L.E, where he played secret agent Illya Kuryakin. He received two Emmy Award nominations for his outstanding performance.
His most recent role was that of the eccentric Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard in the TV series NCIS, where he appeared with Mark Harmon and Cote de Pablo.
McCallum passed away on the 25th of September 2023.
“David was a great actor and novelist, and many around the world adored him,” according to the NCIS memorial.
“He lived a fantastic life, and his legacy will carry on via his family and the innumerable hours of film and television that will never fade.”
McCallum once referred to NCIS as his “Rock of Gibraltar,” citing his professional connection with Mark Harmon. That emotion was mutual, to say the least.
“I will always remember David McCallum,” Harmon stated in 2019. “And I believed that from the beginning because I realized how privileged this entire cast, whoever it is, is to work with him and witness his work ethic on a daily basis. And draw on his experience, which he has gained over the years in this sector through many shows.”
Harmon pulled practical jokes on everyone on set, except McCallum. Why? Because he lacked the confidence to do so.
In early 2016, David McCallum created an AMA (Ask Me Anything) thread on the famous social media site Reddit. Among the others, they had a lot of questions concerning the NCIS cast.
One individual asked if Harmon had ever perpetrated a joke on McCallum, to which the actor replied, “Mark Harmon knows I am not the kind to be toyed with.”
Harmon featured in his final episode as Leroy Jethro Gibbs on Monday, October 9, 2022. He quit the show after starring in 435 episodes, 18 fewer than David McCallum.
They were not only co-stars, but also wonderful friends.
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