Best David McCallum Performances, Ranked
Celebrated screen star David McCallum had a decorated and illustrious career in both TV and film, with a Hollywood tenure lasting over 60 years.
Celebrated screen star David McCallum had a decorated and illustrious career in both TV and film, with a Hollywood tenure lasting over 60 years. The acclaimed performer skyrocketed to stardom when he appeared opposite Robert Vaughn in the ’60s spy cult classic The Man from U.N.C.L.E., swiftly establishing himself as one of the industry’s most buzzed about leading men and achieving international prominence.
McCallum continued to find success on the small screen, appearing in shows like The Invisible Man and Colditz and in films like The Great Escape before landing his most enduring and beloved role in the juggernaut military police procedural NCIS, famously portraying Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard. The actor remained a celebrated staple on the series for twenty seasons, remaining on NCIS until his death on September 25, 2023, at 90. Let’s take a look back at some of David McCallum’s best performances of his career.
10 Colditz
In the 1972 British drama Colditz, a group of diverse Allied prisoners-of-war are sent to the notorious German Army camp that had been deemed escape-proof, with only the most at-risk and important prisoners being held in captivity at the World War II fortress until its liberation in 1945.
David McCallum appeared alongside stars like Jack Hedley and Robert Wagner in the engrossing series, portraying the defiant and impatient Flight Lieutenant Simon Carter, who refuses to give up escaping and enjoyed poking at the German guides in hopes of getting a reaction. The program ran for two seasons and earned appreciation for its historical accuracy and compelling performances.
9 Sapphire & Steel
Centering on a strange pair of interdimensional operatives who are tasked with protecting the world’s timeline from evil foes and forces, the 1979 supernatural sci-fi series Sapphire & Steel stars Joanna Lumley and McCallum as the energy beings who help keep society safe and tackle an array of perplexing mysteries in order to keep the current timeline intact. The dynamic duo embark on countless adventures including investigating ghostly apparitions, time fractures, and phantom children, using their unique skill set to keep peace in the realm while protecting those in need while on their crucial missions.
8 Ben 10: Alien Force
Serving as a continuation of the original hit Cartoon Network series, the 2008 animated fantasy show Ben 10: Alien Force is set five years after the events of its predecessor and embraces a far more dark and ominous undertone, though once again focuses on the now fifteen-year-old Ben Tennyson as he utilizes his alien device known as the “Omnitrix” to protect the world and universe from nefarious extraterrestrial threats.
Ben faces many formidable foes in the series, most notably Professor Paradox (McCallum), who possesses profound knowledge and control over the inner workings of time and space following a tragic lab accident. The actor voiced the character for four episodes in the exciting program and reprised the role in both Ben 10: Ultimate Alien and Ben 10: Omnivere, causing chaos for the young hero once again.
7 Batman: Gotham Knight
The legendary DC Comics masked vigilante was once again battling to take down forces of evil in the 2008 animated superhero anthology film Batman: Gotham Knight, in which the caped crusader duked it out with notorious villains Killer Croc, Scarecrow, and Deadshot in order to keep his beloved city safe, with the electrifying movie being broken up into six exciting segments.
The late and great Kevin Conroy once again took on the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman in the big screen extravaganza, with David McCallum voicing his loyal butler and ultimate confidante Alfred Pennyworth in the fifth entry entitled “Working Through Pain.” The installment features a wounded Batman in the sewers of Gotham as he reflects upon life-changing experiences while attempting to take care of his injury with Alfred eventually arriving to help the hero. McCallum would go on to voice Pennyworth once more in 2015’s Batman vs. Robin.
6 The Invisible Man
Inspired by the groundbreaking H.G. Wells sci-fi novel of the same name, the 1975 series The Invisible Man features David McCallum as the eponymous character Dr. Daniel Westin, a brilliant scientist who wondrously discovers a way to make objects invisible and must abandon his job out of fear the epic discovery could fall into the wrong hands.
After conducting an experiment on himself, Westin becomes permanently invisible and must use technology to help fake him looking normal and visible, turning to his wife Kate (Melinda Fee) and his superior Walter Carlson (Craig Stevens) for help. The short-lived show was the second television adaptation of Wells’ acclaimed classic and was ultimately canceled after just 12 episodes due to low ratings, despite McCallum’s dynamic performance.
5 The Greatest Story Ever Told
George Stevens directed the 1965 Oscar-nominated epic drama The Greatest Story Ever Told, a phenomenal retelling of the life of Jesus of Nazareth as depicted in the Bible, chronicling the religious leader’s birth all the way to his betrayal by Judas that led to his crucifixion and subsequent Ascension to Heaven. Max von Sydow took on the monumental role of Jesus Christ with David McCallum portraying the notorious Judas Iscariot, and the actors delivered outstanding performances as the Biblical figures in the sweeping picture.
Before McCallum signed on as Judas, Marlon Brando was in the running to take on the massive role, and screen legends Elizabeth Taylor and Spencer Tracy were also reportedly in the mix during various points of production. The filmwent on to receive five Academy Award nominations and despite its underwhelming box office performance was a hit in the eyes of its director, with Stevens stating, “I have tremendous satisfaction that the job has been done – to its completion – the way I wanted it done; the way I know it should have been done. It belongs to the audiences now … and I prefer to let them judge.”
4 The Great Escape
The “King of Cool” Steve McQueen headlined the 1963 epic war adventure film The Great Escape, which is set at the German POW camp Stalag Luft III and focuses on a band of Allied soldiers as they devise an intricate plan to break out of their confinements, with the unruly Captain Virgil Hilts steamrolling the dangerous mission to rise up against their Nazi captors. James Garner, Richard Attenborough, and Charles Bronson also appear in the exciting World War II film as members of Hilts’ mismatched team, with David McCallum portraying Lieutenant-Commander Eric Ashley-Pitt who helps out during the daring escape.
The Great Escape was a critical and commercial hit, and went on to become one of the highest-grossing releases of the year while earning critical acclaim for its spectacular action stunts and sequences and thrilling storytelling; it has gone on to achieve the status as a beloved cult classic and remains a dazzling spectacle for audiences everywhere.
3 A Night to Remember
Lauded as one of the most accurate and revered big screen representations of the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic, the 1958 historical disaster docudrama A Night to Remember offers an in-depth and honest depiction of the famous passenger liner’s final night, which devastatingly sunk after striking an iceberg while on her maiden voyage on April 15, 1912. An adaptation of the Walter Lord non-fiction book of the same name, the gripping picture shines a light on the vessel’s courageous crew and is told from the perspective of Second Officer Charles Lightoller (Kenneth More).
Kenneth Griffith appeared as wireless operator Jack Phillips with McCallum portraying his assistant Harold Bride, with the brave men valiantly attempting to relay distress signals to ships in the area in a desperate effort to receive help. A Night to Remember won a Golden Globe Award and has been singled out by both Titanic survivors and historians as a factual rendering of the maritime disaster.
2 The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
David McCallum became a household name when he starred opposite Robert Vaughn in the 1964 action spy series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., which famously follows skilled secret agents Illya Kuryakin and Napoleon Solo as they join forces and work for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement (U.N.C.L.E.), a mysterious international counterespionage and agency that helps protect the world from unfathomable evils. The series focuses on the often-at-odds American Solo (Vaughn) and Russian Kuryakin (McCallum) as they set aside their differences for the greater good.
McCallum established himself as a certified sex symbol and major Hollywood star during the show’s four spectacular seasons, and his delightful on-screen chemistry with Vaughn caused a major pop culture phenomenon and helped make the program a hit. The actor earned two Emmy nominations for his work which was arguably his most well-known and celebrated role, and he went on to reprise the fan-favorite character for the 1986 television film Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1 NCIS
While The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was without a doubt David McCallum’s career-defining role, the talented actor’s most enduring and popular performance was as Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard in the long-running military police procedural series NCIS, centering on a savvy team of special agents as they represent the Naval Criminal Investigative Service as the unit responds to an array of high visibility crimes. Mark Harmon led the cast as Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, with stars like Michael Weatherly, Sean Murray, and Pauley Perrette also appearing in the juggernaut show.
For twenty impressive seasons, McCallum starred as NCIS chief medical examiner Ducky Mallard, a kind but offbeat character with a soft spot for history and an epic rambler who quickly endeared himself to both his fellow agents and viewers at home. The actor gained renewed popularity by portraying the eccentric Mallard and remained a cherished staple on the show until his death on September 25, 2023.
