Last Monday, 25 September 2023, British actor David McCallum (1933) has died. He was 90. McCallum was known for two American TV series. He played U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin in the legendary hit series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964). Nearly 40 years later, he made a comeback as Dr. Donald 'Duckie' Mallard on NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (2003). While making The Man from U.N.C.L.E., McCallum received more fan mail than any other actor in MGM's history, including Clark Gable and Elvis Presley.
![David McCallum in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964-1966)]()
Spanish postcard by Ediciones Este, no. 164-T, 1966. David McCallum as U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968).
![David McCallum in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964-1968)]()
Vintage collectors Card. David McCallum as U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968).
![David McCallum in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964-1968)]()
Spanish postcard by Bergas, no. 917. David McCallum as U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968).
![David McCallum in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968)]()
American postcard by C.G. Williams Ltd., Maidstone, Kent / Colourpicture, no. P81326. David McCallum as U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968).
![David McCallum in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968)]()
Spanish postcard by Bergas, no. 682. David McCallum as U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968).
David Keith McCallum was born in 1933 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. His father, David McCallum Sr., was the first violinist for the London Philharmonic and his mother, Dorothy Dorman, was a cellist.
It's not surprising that David was originally headed for a career in music, playing the oboe. He studied briefly at the Royal Academy of Music. He left that, however, for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, which he attended between 1949 and 1951.
His first acting role was in 'Whom the Gods Love, Die Young' playing a doomed royal. A James Dean-themed photograph of McCallum caught the attention of the Rank Organisation, who signed him in 1956. McCallum married actress Jill Ireland while filming Hell Drivers (Cy Endfield, 1957) together. He made nearly a dozen films in the United Kingdom before he had his breakthrough as Lt. Wyatt in Billy Budd (Peter Ustinov, 1962), starring Terence Stamp.
His first American film was Freud: The Secret Passion (1962), directed by John Huston. In 1963 he introduced Ireland to Charles Bronson when both were filming The Great Escape (John Sturges, 1963). She subsequently left McCallum and married Bronson in 1968.
McCallum and Ireland had three sons: Paul, Jason (an adopted son who died from an accidental drug overdose in 1989), and Val (short for Valentine), who is a respected guitarist and session musician, recording and performing with such artists as Sheryl Crow.
![David McCallum in Violent Playground (1958)]()
British press photo, no. 319/95. David McCallum in Violent Playground (Basil Dearden, 1958). Caption: Finally Cathie persuades her brother to give himself up to the police, and he is led away from the school and driven off in a Black Maria. At first, Cathie is distraught at the sight of her brother taken away in handcuffs. Hysterically she screams at Truman, but with the help of the Priest he manages to pacify her.""Violent Playground, the story of a Liverpool fire-raising gang, is being made for the Rank Organisation by Michael Relph and Basil Dearden, the famous team that produced The Blue Lamp. It stars Stanley Baker, David McCallum and Anne Heywood. Also in the cast are Peter Cushing and John Slater. The film is being shot on location in Liverpool and at Pinewood."
![Robert Vaughn, Leo G. Carroll, Barbara Moore and David McCallum in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964-1968)]()
German postcard by Kolibri-Verlag, Minden/Westf., no. 2872. Robert Vaughn as U.N.C.L.E. agent Napoleon Solo, Leo G. Carroll as Alexander Waverly, Barbara Moore as Lisa Rogers, and David McCallum as U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968). In Germany, the series was called 'Solo für O.N.C.E.L.' and was broadcast by the ZDF.
![Robert Vaughn and David McCallum in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968)]()
Spanish postcard by Postal Oscar Color S.A., Hospitalet (Barcelona), no. 727. Robert Vaughn and David McCallum in the American TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968).
![David McCallum in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964-1968)]()
Vintage collectors card, no. 23. David McCallum as U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968).
![Robert Vaughn (1932-2016)]()
Spanish postcard by Bergas, no. 773. Photo: publicity still for the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964-1968) with David McCallum.
In 1964, David McCallum became a star as the mysterious Russian agent Illya Kuryakin in the hit TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964).
The series was based on the popularity of the James Bond films. McCallum and Robert Vaughn play two top Agents of the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement (U.N.C.L.E.) who fight the enemies of peace, particularly the forces of T.H.R.U.S.H. and use charm, wit, and a never-ending assortment of gadgets.
McCallum's Beatle-style blond haircut provided a trendy contrast to Vaughn's clean-cut appearance. He became a sex symbol and his Russian alter ego became a pop culture phenomenon, despite the Cold War.
McCallum received two Emmy Award nominations in the course of the show's four-year run (1964–1968) for playing the intellectual and introverted secret agent.
McCallum also played the role of Judas Iscariot in The Greatest Story Ever Told (George Stevens, 1965). This epic is a retelling of the Biblical account of Jesus of Nazareth (Max von Sydow), from the Nativity through to the Ascension. In the 1960s, McCallum also recorded four albums for Capitol Records with music producer David Axelrod.
![David McCallum in The Great Escape (1963)]()
German press photo by Pressebilderdienst Kindermann, Berlin, no. 34477/1. Issued for the broadcasting at ZDF television on 15 September 1991. David McCallum in The Great Escape (John Sturges, 1963).
![Sylva Koscina and David McCallum in Three Bites of the Apple (1967)]()
British press photo, no. 319/95. Sylva Koscina and David McCallum in Three Bites of the Apple (Alvin Ganzer, 1967).
![Sylva Koscina and David McCallum in Three Bites of the Apple (1967)]()
British press photo, no. TBA-17. Sylva Koscina and David McCallum in Three Bites of the Apple (Alvin Ganzer, 1967). Caption: Carla Moretti (Sylva Koscina), having tried to fleece tour guide Stanley Thrumm (David McCallum), has a change of heart and is happy that he has been about to retrieve his money. A romantic comedy of a tour guide in Europe whose life is turned upside-down when he wins a fortune at the gambling tables, Three Bites of the Apple stars David McCallum, Sylva Koscina and Tammy Grimes, with Harvey Korman and Domenico Modugno in co-starring roles. The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer presentation, produced and directed by Alvin Ganzer, was filmed in Panavision and Metro-color on locations in Rome, Venice and Portofino.
![David McCallum, Aldo Fabrizi and Tammy Grimes in Three Bites of the Apple (1967)]()
British press photo, no. TBA-54. David McCallum, Aldo Fabrizi and Tammy Grimes in Three Bites of the Apple (Alvin Ganzer, 1967). Caption: Tour guide Stanley Thrumm (David McCallum) explains to his touring party that they will be held up because of the illness of two of the members, who are being treated by the doctor (Aldo Fabrizi) on his right. Seated in the lower right corner is Tammy Grimes, cast as the spinster tourist, Miss Sparrow.
![David McCallum in Sol Madrid (1968)]()
German press photo, no. D 2386/2. Photo: RTL Plus, Köln (Cologne). David McCallum in Sol Madrid/They Only Kill Once (Brian G. Hutton, 1968). The photo was issued for the TV screening of the film in Germany on 25 October 1991 under the title Kugeln sind sein Autogramm. Caption: Agent Sol Madrid (David McCallum) has a big fish on the rod. His biggest catch, however, will be a drug ring, of which the dealers will be caught in his net.
![David McCallum and Telly Savalas in Sol Madrid (1967)]()
German press photo. Photo: RTL Plus, Köln (Cologne). David McCallum and Telly Savalas in Sol Madrid/They Only Kill Once (Brian G. Hutton, 1968). The photo was issued for the TV screening of the film in Germany on 25 October 1991 under the title Kugeln sind sein Autogramm.
For decades, David McCallum never quite repeated the popular success he had gained as Kuryakin, though he did become a familiar face on British television in such shows as Colditz (1972–1974), Kidnapped (1978), and ITV's Science-Fiction series Sapphire & Steel (1979–1982) opposite Joanna Lumley.
In 1975 he played the title character in a short-lived U.S. version of The Invisible Man. He and Robert Vaughn reprised their roles of Kuryakin and Solo in the TV film, Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1983). In 1986 they reunited again in an episode of The A-Team entitled 'The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair'.
Finally, McCallum made a come-back with his superlative portrayal of chief medical examiner Dr. Donald 'Duckie' Mallard on the hit CBS series, NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (2003) with Mark Harmon. He has played the same character in three different series: JAG (1995), NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (2003), and NCIS: New Orleans (2014). In 2016 he published the novel 'Once a Crooked Man' (2016).
McCallum was married to former model Katherine Carpenter since 1967. They had a son, Peter, a daughter, Sophie and six grandchildren. McCallum and his wife are active with charitable organizations that support the United States Marine Corps: Katherine's father was a Marine who served in the Battle of Iwo Jima, and her brother lost his life in the Vietnam War.
David McCallum McCallum died in 2023 of natural causes surrounded by his family at New York Presbyterian Hospital. "He was the kindest, coolest, most patient and loving father", his son Peter McCallum wrote in a statement from the family. "He always put family before self."
![David McCallum and Melinda Fee in The Invisble Man (1975)]()
Austrian press photo by Kïvesdi Presseagentur Ges., Wien for the Austrian broadcasting on 5 October 1983. David McCallum and Melinda Fee in the TV series The Invisible Man (1975). The Austrian title was Der Unsichtbare. Caption: "Rare representative of his field. Mr. Devega is a great art lover and also an ambassador. He was particularly impressed by some important paintings hanging in the Capitol. He secretly replaces them with counterfeits so that he can then blackmail the US government. He has played this game a few times and one could never prove anything ... Dan and Kate are tasked to prevent the scandal ....."
![David McCallum in The Invisble Man (1975)]()
German press photo by RTL Plus for the German broadcasting on 13 December 1991. David McCallum in the TV series The Invisible Man (1975). The German title was Der Unsichtbare. Caption: Dr. Daniel Westin (David McCallum) made a sensational discovery in his research lab.
![David McCallum and Ekkehardt Belle in Kidnapped (1978)]()
German press photo by Ursula Bunk / ZDF. David McCallum and Ekkehardt Belle in the TV Mini-series Kidnapped (Jean-Pierre Decourt, 1978), part 2. Caption: Alan (David McCallum) cares for the very weakened David (Ekkehardt Belle) and gives him something to eat. This episode was broadcast on German television on 29 December 1984.
![David McCallum and Bruce Purchase on the set of Kidnapped (1978)]()
German press photo by Pressebilderdienst Kindermann / ZDF. David McCallum as Alan Breck and Bruce Purchase as Army Officer on the set of the TV Mini-series Kidnapped (Jean-Pierre Decourt, 1978), episode 2. This episode was broadcast on German television on 10 December 1978.
![David McCallum and Christopher Biggins in Kidnapped (1978)]()
German press photo by ZDF Bilder Dienst for the broadcasting by the ZDF on 17 December 1978. David McCallum and Christopher Biggins in the TV Mini-series Kidnapped (Jean-Pierre Decourt, 1978), part 8. Caption: Alan Breck (David McCallum) is disappointed with the easy life and indifference of Prince Charles (Christopher Biggins), the Scottish heir to the throne, in France. Other actors are unknown.
![David McCallum]()
Vintage press photo.
Sources: Ed Stephan (IMDb), Brian Lowry (CNN), Wikipedia, and IMDb.
Spanish postcard by Ediciones Este, no. 164-T, 1966. David McCallum as U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968).
Vintage collectors Card. David McCallum as U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968).
Spanish postcard by Bergas, no. 917. David McCallum as U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968).
American postcard by C.G. Williams Ltd., Maidstone, Kent / Colourpicture, no. P81326. David McCallum as U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968).
Spanish postcard by Bergas, no. 682. David McCallum as U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968).
Whom the Gods Love, Die Young
David Keith McCallum was born in 1933 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. His father, David McCallum Sr., was the first violinist for the London Philharmonic and his mother, Dorothy Dorman, was a cellist.
It's not surprising that David was originally headed for a career in music, playing the oboe. He studied briefly at the Royal Academy of Music. He left that, however, for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, which he attended between 1949 and 1951.
His first acting role was in 'Whom the Gods Love, Die Young' playing a doomed royal. A James Dean-themed photograph of McCallum caught the attention of the Rank Organisation, who signed him in 1956. McCallum married actress Jill Ireland while filming Hell Drivers (Cy Endfield, 1957) together. He made nearly a dozen films in the United Kingdom before he had his breakthrough as Lt. Wyatt in Billy Budd (Peter Ustinov, 1962), starring Terence Stamp.
His first American film was Freud: The Secret Passion (1962), directed by John Huston. In 1963 he introduced Ireland to Charles Bronson when both were filming The Great Escape (John Sturges, 1963). She subsequently left McCallum and married Bronson in 1968.
McCallum and Ireland had three sons: Paul, Jason (an adopted son who died from an accidental drug overdose in 1989), and Val (short for Valentine), who is a respected guitarist and session musician, recording and performing with such artists as Sheryl Crow.
British press photo, no. 319/95. David McCallum in Violent Playground (Basil Dearden, 1958). Caption: Finally Cathie persuades her brother to give himself up to the police, and he is led away from the school and driven off in a Black Maria. At first, Cathie is distraught at the sight of her brother taken away in handcuffs. Hysterically she screams at Truman, but with the help of the Priest he manages to pacify her.""Violent Playground, the story of a Liverpool fire-raising gang, is being made for the Rank Organisation by Michael Relph and Basil Dearden, the famous team that produced The Blue Lamp. It stars Stanley Baker, David McCallum and Anne Heywood. Also in the cast are Peter Cushing and John Slater. The film is being shot on location in Liverpool and at Pinewood."
German postcard by Kolibri-Verlag, Minden/Westf., no. 2872. Robert Vaughn as U.N.C.L.E. agent Napoleon Solo, Leo G. Carroll as Alexander Waverly, Barbara Moore as Lisa Rogers, and David McCallum as U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968). In Germany, the series was called 'Solo für O.N.C.E.L.' and was broadcast by the ZDF.
Spanish postcard by Postal Oscar Color S.A., Hospitalet (Barcelona), no. 727. Robert Vaughn and David McCallum in the American TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968).
Vintage collectors card, no. 23. David McCallum as U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1968).
Spanish postcard by Bergas, no. 773. Photo: publicity still for the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964-1968) with David McCallum.
The mysterious Russian agent Illya Kuryakin
In 1964, David McCallum became a star as the mysterious Russian agent Illya Kuryakin in the hit TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964).
The series was based on the popularity of the James Bond films. McCallum and Robert Vaughn play two top Agents of the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement (U.N.C.L.E.) who fight the enemies of peace, particularly the forces of T.H.R.U.S.H. and use charm, wit, and a never-ending assortment of gadgets.
McCallum's Beatle-style blond haircut provided a trendy contrast to Vaughn's clean-cut appearance. He became a sex symbol and his Russian alter ego became a pop culture phenomenon, despite the Cold War.
McCallum received two Emmy Award nominations in the course of the show's four-year run (1964–1968) for playing the intellectual and introverted secret agent.
McCallum also played the role of Judas Iscariot in The Greatest Story Ever Told (George Stevens, 1965). This epic is a retelling of the Biblical account of Jesus of Nazareth (Max von Sydow), from the Nativity through to the Ascension. In the 1960s, McCallum also recorded four albums for Capitol Records with music producer David Axelrod.
German press photo by Pressebilderdienst Kindermann, Berlin, no. 34477/1. Issued for the broadcasting at ZDF television on 15 September 1991. David McCallum in The Great Escape (John Sturges, 1963).
British press photo, no. 319/95. Sylva Koscina and David McCallum in Three Bites of the Apple (Alvin Ganzer, 1967).
British press photo, no. TBA-17. Sylva Koscina and David McCallum in Three Bites of the Apple (Alvin Ganzer, 1967). Caption: Carla Moretti (Sylva Koscina), having tried to fleece tour guide Stanley Thrumm (David McCallum), has a change of heart and is happy that he has been about to retrieve his money. A romantic comedy of a tour guide in Europe whose life is turned upside-down when he wins a fortune at the gambling tables, Three Bites of the Apple stars David McCallum, Sylva Koscina and Tammy Grimes, with Harvey Korman and Domenico Modugno in co-starring roles. The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer presentation, produced and directed by Alvin Ganzer, was filmed in Panavision and Metro-color on locations in Rome, Venice and Portofino.
British press photo, no. TBA-54. David McCallum, Aldo Fabrizi and Tammy Grimes in Three Bites of the Apple (Alvin Ganzer, 1967). Caption: Tour guide Stanley Thrumm (David McCallum) explains to his touring party that they will be held up because of the illness of two of the members, who are being treated by the doctor (Aldo Fabrizi) on his right. Seated in the lower right corner is Tammy Grimes, cast as the spinster tourist, Miss Sparrow.
German press photo, no. D 2386/2. Photo: RTL Plus, Köln (Cologne). David McCallum in Sol Madrid/They Only Kill Once (Brian G. Hutton, 1968). The photo was issued for the TV screening of the film in Germany on 25 October 1991 under the title Kugeln sind sein Autogramm. Caption: Agent Sol Madrid (David McCallum) has a big fish on the rod. His biggest catch, however, will be a drug ring, of which the dealers will be caught in his net.
German press photo. Photo: RTL Plus, Köln (Cologne). David McCallum and Telly Savalas in Sol Madrid/They Only Kill Once (Brian G. Hutton, 1968). The photo was issued for the TV screening of the film in Germany on 25 October 1991 under the title Kugeln sind sein Autogramm.
Chief medical examiner Dr. Donald 'Duckie' Mallard
For decades, David McCallum never quite repeated the popular success he had gained as Kuryakin, though he did become a familiar face on British television in such shows as Colditz (1972–1974), Kidnapped (1978), and ITV's Science-Fiction series Sapphire & Steel (1979–1982) opposite Joanna Lumley.
In 1975 he played the title character in a short-lived U.S. version of The Invisible Man. He and Robert Vaughn reprised their roles of Kuryakin and Solo in the TV film, Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1983). In 1986 they reunited again in an episode of The A-Team entitled 'The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair'.
Finally, McCallum made a come-back with his superlative portrayal of chief medical examiner Dr. Donald 'Duckie' Mallard on the hit CBS series, NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (2003) with Mark Harmon. He has played the same character in three different series: JAG (1995), NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (2003), and NCIS: New Orleans (2014). In 2016 he published the novel 'Once a Crooked Man' (2016).
McCallum was married to former model Katherine Carpenter since 1967. They had a son, Peter, a daughter, Sophie and six grandchildren. McCallum and his wife are active with charitable organizations that support the United States Marine Corps: Katherine's father was a Marine who served in the Battle of Iwo Jima, and her brother lost his life in the Vietnam War.
David McCallum McCallum died in 2023 of natural causes surrounded by his family at New York Presbyterian Hospital. "He was the kindest, coolest, most patient and loving father", his son Peter McCallum wrote in a statement from the family. "He always put family before self."
Austrian press photo by Kïvesdi Presseagentur Ges., Wien for the Austrian broadcasting on 5 October 1983. David McCallum and Melinda Fee in the TV series The Invisible Man (1975). The Austrian title was Der Unsichtbare. Caption: "Rare representative of his field. Mr. Devega is a great art lover and also an ambassador. He was particularly impressed by some important paintings hanging in the Capitol. He secretly replaces them with counterfeits so that he can then blackmail the US government. He has played this game a few times and one could never prove anything ... Dan and Kate are tasked to prevent the scandal ....."
German press photo by RTL Plus for the German broadcasting on 13 December 1991. David McCallum in the TV series The Invisible Man (1975). The German title was Der Unsichtbare. Caption: Dr. Daniel Westin (David McCallum) made a sensational discovery in his research lab.
German press photo by Ursula Bunk / ZDF. David McCallum and Ekkehardt Belle in the TV Mini-series Kidnapped (Jean-Pierre Decourt, 1978), part 2. Caption: Alan (David McCallum) cares for the very weakened David (Ekkehardt Belle) and gives him something to eat. This episode was broadcast on German television on 29 December 1984.
German press photo by Pressebilderdienst Kindermann / ZDF. David McCallum as Alan Breck and Bruce Purchase as Army Officer on the set of the TV Mini-series Kidnapped (Jean-Pierre Decourt, 1978), episode 2. This episode was broadcast on German television on 10 December 1978.
German press photo by ZDF Bilder Dienst for the broadcasting by the ZDF on 17 December 1978. David McCallum and Christopher Biggins in the TV Mini-series Kidnapped (Jean-Pierre Decourt, 1978), part 8. Caption: Alan Breck (David McCallum) is disappointed with the easy life and indifference of Prince Charles (Christopher Biggins), the Scottish heir to the throne, in France. Other actors are unknown.
Vintage press photo.
Sources: Ed Stephan (IMDb), Brian Lowry (CNN), Wikipedia, and IMDb.