David Keith McCallum, Jr. (photo ©Angela George) was born on September 19, 1933, in Glasgow, Scotland.

The family of David McCallum moved to London when he was 10 because his father became principal first violinist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. During World War II he had to return to Scotland, where he lived with his mother.

Given the profession of his father, it was natural that the young David was encouraged to study for a career as a musician, and for this reason, he played the oboe. However, he still attended school when he started getting roles as an actor in amateur productions and radio broadcasts.

In the ’50s, David McCallum got roles in various movies and in 1956 married Jill Ireland, a marriage that lasted until 1967. Together, the two had three children: Paul, Valentine, and their adopted son Jason, who unfortunately died in 1989.

In the early ’60s, David McCallum started getting roles in television productions, where he found great fame. In the original series of “The Outer Limits,” he had his first roles in science fiction, a genre in which his face has become very popular over the decades.

However, great fame came to David McCallum with the TV show “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”. The real star of the show was supposed to be Robert Vaughn but McCallum made ​​a remarkable contribution to the construction of his character, the mysterious Russian agent Illya Kuryakin, and also thanks to the chemistry between him and Vaughn became the show’s co-star acquiring considerable celebrity.

In 1967, after his divorce from his first wife, David McCallum married Katherine Carpenter, with whom he had two children: Peter and Sophie.

During the ’60s, David McCallum found the time to record four music albums: “Music… A Part Of Me” in 1966, “Music… A Bit More Of Me” in 1966, “Music… It’s Happening Now!” in 1967 and “McCallum” in 1968.

In subsequent years, David McCallum was among the protagonists of TV shows such as “Colditz”, “The Invisible Man” and the cult show “Sapphire & Steel”.

David McCallum has guest starred in many TV shows but also had roles in several movies and for some time he worked in stage plays. He’s one of the very few actors to have worked in the ’90s version of the TV show “The Outer Limits” after having had a role in the original series.

In 1994, David McCallum was the narrator of the documentaries “Titanic: Death of a Dream” and “Titanic: The Legend Lives On” which tells the story of the famous ship and its sinking.

In 2003, David McCallum started playing Donald “Ducky” Mallard in the TV show “NCIS”. The actor has studied forensics to better play his character even watching real autopsies.

In recent years David McCallum has also lent his voice to the recurring character Paradox in the animated series “Ben 10” and its sequels.

Fans of “NCIS” and those of David McCallum in general, can rest assured that even if the actor is no longer a kid, last year it was announced that he reached an agreement on an extension of his contract for two more seasons. His eightieth birthday isn’t only an occasion to celebrate a long career as he continues to offer his performances.

Edit. David McCallum passed away on September 25, 2023.