‘NCIS’ to Honor Late Cast Member David McCallum In Upcoming Episode — See Photos
NCIS will honor one of its own when it returns to CBS later this month. The second episode of season 21, “The Stories We Leave Behind,” airs Feb. 19 and pays tribute to longtime cast member David McCallum. McCallum died on Sept. 25, 2023, at the age of 90.
The NCIS team mourns Ducky in ‘The Stories We Leave Behind’
McCallum had played Donald “Ducky” Mallard since the show’s first season. The character, who started out as the chief medical examiner before becoming an NCIS historian after his retirement, was a core part of the show. In NCIS Season 21 Episode 2, his fellow agents will mark his passing in a perfectly fitting way.
“As NCIS mourns the loss of Ducky, the agents find comfort in working on one of his unfinished cases involving a woman whose father was dishonorably discharged from the Marines,” reads the synopsis from CBS.
Brian Dietzen and Scott Williams wrote the episode, which is directed by Michael Zinberg. Dietzen has played Ducky’s protege Dr. Jimmy Palmer since season 1.
The ‘NCIS’ episode honors ‘legendary actor David McCallum
For the NCIS team, there was no question about paying tribute to McCallum with a Ducky-centric episode.
“Everyone at NCIS felt it was important to do an episode that honors such a legendary actor, not to mention a dear friend,” co-showrunners/executive producers Steven D. Binder and David North told TVLine.
“In the episode, the team will learn of Ducky’s passing and reflect on their memories of him as they grieve,” Binder and North shared. “And true to Ducky’s meticulous and compassionate nature, even after he’s gone, he still manages to solve one last crime with the team.”
Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly celebrated David McCallum after his death
McCallum first rose to fame in the 1960s for playing secret agent Illya Kuryakin on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. In his later years, TV audiences came to know him as the mild-manned NCIS medical examiner Ducky. His death was felt keenly by NCIS cast members past and present, including original series star Mark Harmon.
“David lived a great, full, long life,” Harmon told Deadline. “I was in awe when I first met him and all of us on the show were honored to have toed a mark opposite him. My condolences go out to [his wife] Katherine and his family.”
“David McCallum made every moment count, in life and on set. Let’s raise a jug and celebrate a funny fantastic authentic man,” former cast member Michael Weatherly wrote on X.
David McCallum was a mentor, a great scene partner, a wonderful father and husband, and he was my dear friend,” Dietzen wrote in a lengthy tribute on Instagram.
“The friendship and respect people saw between Ducky and Jimmy over the years mirrored the relationship we’d developed off camera,” he added. “Whether it was going on field trips for character research, attending charity events or catching some golf together, he was always up for an adventure. The guy could do anything.”
NCIS Season 21 premieres Monday, Feb. 12 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. Episodes also stream on Paramount+.
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