“A Great, Full, Long Life”: Mark Harmon & Other NCIS Stars Pay Tribute To David McCallum

•  NCIS castmates pay tribute to the late David McCallum, honoring his talent, friendship, and kind soul. His presence on the show will be deeply missed.
•  McCallum’s portrayal of Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard on NCIS was beloved by fans. He brought humor and authenticity to the role, making every moment count.
•  Despite limited screen time in recent years, McCallum’s character Ducky played a crucial role in solving cases on NCIS. The show will honor his legacy in future seasons.

The NCIS family led by Mark Harmon pays tribute to Ducky actor, David McCallum. As one of the original cast members of the CBS procedural, McCallum debuted his beloved role as Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard in 2003, playing the chief medical examiner at the titular organization. His history with the team went far beyond the starting point of the show, as Ducky was a long-time friend of Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

After news broke that McCallum died at the age of 90, his NCIS castmates honored him and his legacy on their respective social media pages. Check out their posts below:

Pauley Perrette shared a throwback image of her, McCallum, and Sasha Alexandar during the early days of NCIS, alongside a slideshow of their snaps over the years.

Jess actress Katrina Law honored McCallum by sharing an image of him as Ducky and writing “R.I.P.” in the caption.

Brian Dietzen, who plays Jimmy Palmer, grieved his NCIS co-star while also thanking him for his friendship.

Despite having already left NCIS, Michael Weatherly paid tribute to his former co-star, highlighting McCallum’s love of living life.

Lauren Holly, on the other hand, highlighted McCallum’s kindness.

Finally, Jon Cryer expressed his gratitude for having the chance to work with McCallum.

Meanwhile, Harmon shared his statement with TV Line. Read his full quote below:

“David lived a great, full, long life. 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 Katherine and his family.”

Why Ducky Is So Important To NCIS

Considering how long he had been in NCIS, Ducky’s role naturally evolved. Aside from being highly competent, he was also known for a number of quirks, including his penchant for colorful bow ties, which he regularly incorporated into his ensemble. Despite how gory his work was being NCIS’ chief medical examiner, Ducky made it enjoyable for him and for the viewers of the procedural too thanks to his odd habit of talking to his dead subjects.

Ducky spent years autopsying dead bodies in NCIS, with his findings usually becoming critical to the team’s effort to solve their cases. That being said, in the show’s recent years, his appearances became more sporadic. Technically, McCallum remained an official cast member of the show until season 20, but he wasn’t involved in every single episode after the actor struck a deal with CBS to have limited screen time. This stemmed from his desire to spend more time with his family, considering that he was already in his late 80s when this arrangement was made.

NCIS season 21 is already guaranteed, but due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike and despite the WGA strike seemingly nearing its conclusion, it remains unclear when it will premiere. Regardless of when it may be, one thing is for sure: it will find a way to pay tribute to McCallum and his legacy as Ducky.