David Mccallum: Bio, Wiki, Age, Height, Career, Movies & TV Shows, The Edge, NCIS, Net Worth, Wife, FAQs & More

David Keith McCallum Jr, alias David McCallum is a famous Scottish actor as well as a musician. So, he took birth on 19th September 1933. Therefore, he is almost eighty. However, he is still active. The 60s were important for him because that was when people came to know him. So, he played the role of Illya Kuryakin who was the secret agent in the TV show The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

However, David McCallum has been receiving a lot of international praise recently. So, this is because of his role as Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard. Therefore, the role of an NCIS medical examiner has made him very popular. However, the TV series in question is American- NCIS. You might probably remember that The Great Escape which was released in 1963 was one of the greatest classics ever. So, along with John Leyton and William Russell, David McCallum is one of the last living actors of the film.

David McCallum Age

So, we have already seen that David McCallum was born on 19th September 1933. Therefore, he is currently an octogenarian. He is eighty-eight and still working. On the other hand, most at his age enjoy the final stages of retirement, let alone leading a work-life.

Early Life

So, David McCallum was born in Maryhill in Glasgow and had an older brother. He was born in a musical family which could have been influential in shaping his career later on. So, his father David McCallum Sr worked as an orchestral violinist. On the other hand, his mother Dorothy was a cellist. When he was only three, his father had to play in the London Philharmonic Orchestra as the leader. So, the entire family shifted to London. However, the second world war was setting in and there were questions on safety. So, he again faced a dislocation to Scotland. Here he lived with his mother at Gartocharn.

Career

David McCallum became the assistant stage manager of the Opera company Glyndebourne in 1951. Therefore, he was only eighteen at this point in time. However, he finally started making short stints in British films from the late 1950s onwards. In his initial role, David McCallum played the part of a doomed royal in Whom the Gods Love, Die Young. Moreover, in 1956, the Rank Organisation signed him. So, this was because A James Dean-themed photograph of David McCallum heavily influenced them to make the choice. But, David McCallum mentioned that he had his Equity card since 1946. So, we come to know this from an interview in 2010 that he gave to Alan Titchmarsh.

In the initial stages of his career, he played quite a variety of early roles. So, these ranged from being a juvenile delinquent in Violent Playground (1957) to an outlaw in Robbery Under Arms, (1957) to a junior in RMS Titanic. Moreover, he also acted as a radio operator Harold Bride in A Night to Remember (1958). However, it was in 1962 when he debuted in an American film. So, this was Freud: The Secret Passion that was directed by John Huston. So, following this, she soon played a role in Peter Ustinov’s Billy Budd. Moreover, David McCallum also played Lt Cdr Eric Ashley-Pitt in The Great Escape in 1963. This would however become a classic in the years to come.

David McCallum : The Man From U.N.C.L.E

The man from U.N.C.L.E is the most defining work in the entire career of David McCallum. So, he played the role of Illya Kuryakin who was a mysterious Russian agent. It was originally a peripheral role. However, David McCallum acted out its complex layers so well that he became immensely popular. Moreover, with his Beatle-styled blonde haircut, he became a sex symbol. Despite the Cold War being at its greatest height, it became quite a pop-culture phenomenon. So, he had a frenzy of fan following and letters- almost like the Beatles. However, he never got that taste of success again after Kuryakin. So, he did a number of other roles but never became that popular. However, that was until NCIS which again made him a very popular and regular face in British television.

David McCallum: NCIS

So, David McCallum started the second innings of his career in 2003. Therefore, he joined NCIS which was a CBS TV series as Dr. Donald Ducky Mallard. So now, he was the chief medical examiner of the team. However, David McCallum did his job so well that the character became one of the most popular ones in the show. There is a very interesting Easter egg as well, for those who would know. In the 13th episode of the second season named “The Meat Puzzle”, NCIS Special Agent Caitlin Todd asks a very interesting question to Special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. So, the question is what Ducky did during his early years and the reply was “Illya Kuryakin”!

According to the backstory of NCIS season 1 that came on a DVD David McCallum took his role very seriously. So, he regularly attended medical examiner conventions and became quite an expert in forensics. As a result, he became extremely enriched with this knowledge. So, during the interview, he even thought of being a technical advisor to the show rather than just being an actor. Moreover, in 2005, David McCallum attended the 21st Annual James Earl Ash Lecture, at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. So, it was primarily an evening to honor the servicemembers of America. Now, he presented a lecture here along with U.S. Armed Forces medical examiner Cmdr. Craig T. Mallak. Therefore, he titled it “ Reel to Real Forensics. So, in this, he compared the real-life work of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner staff with that of the fictional naval investigators that NCIS shows.

However, in 2012, he signed a two-year extension deal with CBS-TV. Moreover, he signed another similar one in 2014. So, he has had extensions since then.

David McCallum: TV Series

So, David McCallum had an extremely illustrious career in TV series and shows. His journey had begun in 1959. So, he was only around 26 then. However, he has stayed very loyal to the medium throughout his active years. As a result, his last work was in 2019. So, he was in his late eighties then and still relentless to work. So, his first stint at a TV show in 1959 was Anouilh’s Antigone. He had played the role of Haemon here. However, this bit of information is vague because we do not find solid information regarding the show or its role. On the other hand, his last one was as a narrator in a PBS documentary. So, this was D-Day at Pointe-du-Hoc in 2019.

He has played in a number of TV series- more than 65 in number. Moreover, he has also played in some forty films with some timeless classics. However, nothing can surpass his popularity in Man from U.N.C.L.E or NCIS. Other than this, he has played in quite a few series like Hullabaloo, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Frankenstein, Sapphire and Steel, and so on in the late 1900s. However, he also acted in recent TV series like Sex in the city, Ben-10. Batman and so on.

David McCallum & The Edge

So, David McCallum had an amazing musical career too. This is only expected given the upbringing that he had received, especially the classical training since he was a child. So, during the 1960s, under the label of Capitol Records with music producer David Axelrod, David McCallum recorded a total of four albums. In 1966, he recorded Music… A part of me. So, following this again in 1966, Capitol Records released the second album Music… A Bit of Me. Moreover, in 1968, he recorded and released Music… It’s Happening Now! And finally, in 1988, “McCallum” came out. If you look closely at the names of the albums you would realize how closely David McCallum associates music with his own life. So, music is a part and a bit more of himself. Therefore, he loves music intensely. However, his most famous piece probably was “The Edge”. So, it is popular even today.

However, the song has gone through a number of resamplings by various artists. So, Dr. Dre took inspiration from here for the intro and riff of his track “The Next Episode”. Moreover, “M.I.A” by Missin’ Linx, “No Regrets” by Masta Ace, and “Actions” by John Legend are some other resamplings of the song. However, the soundtrack of the 2017 film Baby Driver retains the original “The Edge” by David McCallum.

David McCallum Life and Legacy

So, one can well imagine that David McCallum had a long and illustrious career in both acting and music. Hence, the following sections will deal with his early life, the initial stages in his career. However, the turning point in his career is arguably the Man from U.N.C.L.E. So, his career gets shaped a lot on the basis of what he did before the Man from U.N.C.L.E, what he did in it, and finally how he shaped his life and career after his stint in the show got over.

So, one can easily understand that David McCallum had received a rich exposure to classical music from a very young age. He had won a scholarship to University College School. So, this is located in Hampstead, London, and is a boys’ independent school. Therefore, his parents wanted him to get ready for a musical career. So, he started playing the oboe here. However, he started his career at a very young age. So, in 1946, he started dubbing voices for the repertory company of BBC radio. Moreover, David McCallum also actively participated in local drama. Therefore, he began his acting career by playing Oberon. So, he did this for the Play and Pageant Union who organized an open-air production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

However, he left school when he was 18. So, he joined the British Army’s 3rd Battalion the Middlesex Regiment. From there, he became a lieutenant in 1954. However, after his army service, he returned to performance arts. So, he joined the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Interestingly, his classmate here was the great Joan Collins.

Moreover, he also played the part of Judas Iscariot in The Greatest Story Ever Told in 1965. However, he had played a few television roles too. So, these included two appearances on The Outer Limits along with a guest appearance on Perry Mason in 1964.

David McCallum Net Worth

According to different sources on the web, David McCallum currently has a net worth of 15 million dollars. We already know that his character in NCIS has become very popular. So, for each episode of NCIS that he has in, he gets a total amount of 175,000 dollars. However, considering his long career, the sums are not that great. But then, he has always played in supporting roles which pay much less than the lead roles.

David McCallum Wife

So, David McCallum had married twice. In 1957, he married his first wife Jill Ireland. So, with Jill, he had three children, one of whom died from an accidental drug overdose. However, the marriage broke in 1967, after 10 years. So, this was primarily because Jill developed a relationship with Charles Bronson. McCallum had introduced the two while filming The Great Escape. However, David McCallum himself remarried in 1967 as well. So, his second wife is Katherine Carpenter with whom he has two children. Moreover, Katherine was a former actress and model. She is currently involved in philanthropic activities with her husband.

David McCallum FAQs

There is a number of David McCallum on the web. From a football coach with the rangers to a seminary, there are so many of them. So, make sure when you are running for the web, you are looking at the correct David McCallum. Here are some questions which are very common with people.

Is David McCallum still alive?

Yes! To the best of possibilities, David McCallum is still alive. However, we do not know about his current health conditions in detail given he is very old and vulnerable in times such as these.

Is David McCallum straight or gay?

Gender expression is something that a lot of celebrities do. We encourage them to do so! However, not everyone might want to make their sexualities, orientation, or choices known. Hence, we should equally respect their choice of privacy. So, David McCallum has never voiced anything about these. Therefore, we must not make assumptions.

What is the horoscope sign of David McCallum?

David McCallum is a Virgo.

How long ago did David McCallum’s career start?

So, it started in 1956 which is about 65 years ago.

Did David McCallum do drugs in the past?

A lot of celebrities do drugs in minor amounts. However, we do not know anything in particular about David McCallum. So, it is best not to assume.