Image via CBS Studios
How old is Ducky on ‘NCIS?’ Actor David McCallum’s age, explained
Actor David McCallum, who portrays Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard on the hit CBS procedural NCIS, has been in the acting game forever. So he probably wouldn’t take umbrage with people trying to uncover his advanced age.
The British actor and musician began appearing in movies in 1957, but his breakout lead role came in the mid-1960s as secret agent Illya Kuryakin in the television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Back then, McCallum was something of a sex symbol, and his enigmatic performance had viewers all over the world leaning in to guess the character’s real intentions. He also appeared in the classic film The Great Escape opposite Steve McQueen, and is one of only three surviving members of that cast half a century later.
Recently, McCallum has been lending his voice to animated DC projects. He played Zeus in 2009’s Wonder Woman and voiced Alfred Pennyworth in Batman: Gotham Knight, Son of Batman, and Batman vs. Robin (2008–2015).
However, the real reason for McCallum’s latter-day resurgence is his steadfast presence on 20 seasons of NCIS, beginning in 2003. There, he plays Ducky, the team’s former chief medical examiner and now historian, who over the years has proven to be one of the most popular characters on the series.
McCallum even became a forensics expert himself in preparation for the role, to the degree that series creator Donald P. Bellisario said he considered making McCallum the show’s technical adviser. When series lead Mark Harmon left NCIS during season 19, McCallum became the last remaining member of the original cast.
How old is David McCallum?
McCallum was born in September 1933, which makes him 89 years old as of this writing. He’s had a long and amazing career, even beyond TV and film.
In the 1960s, McCallum recorded four albums for Capitol Records, one of which included his best-known piece, entitled “The Edge.” The song was later sampled by Dr. Dre as the intro and riff for “The Next Episode” and likewise used by John Legend for “Actions.” McCallum’s cut of “The Edge” appeared in 2008’s Grand Theft Auto IV video game, as well as in Edgar Wright’s jukebox crime dramedy Baby Driver.
If that weren’t enough, McCallum published a crime novel in 2016 called Once a Crooked Man. He is said to be working on another novel at present.
Needless to say, we now feel extremely lazy comparing ourselves with the Man from U.N.C.L.E., Ducky, author, and recording artist extraordinaire. May everyone be blessed with such a work ethic when they’re octogenarians.
