“NCIS” fans were heartbroken to learn on Monday that longtime series star David McCallum had died at the age of 90. Over the course of his career, McCallum got the chance to give more than a few iconic screen performances, including his star-making turn in the 1960s as Illya Kuryakin on “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” In the years after that TV series went off the air, McCallum went on to earn further attention for his performances as Flight Lieutenant Simon Carter on “Colditz” and Steel on “Sapphire and Steel.”
Despite the success he experienced throughout the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s, though, McCallum is, perhaps, best known now for his 20-year performance as Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard on the long-running CBS procedural series, “NCIS.” One of the show’s core cast members, McCallum managed to make nearly as much of a lasting mark on “NCIS” as the series’ longtime lead, Mark Harmon. It isn’t much of a mystery, therefore, why some fans are already wondering whether or not McCallum got to film any scenes as Ducky for “NCIS” Season 21 before his death this week.
The answer to that question is, unfortunately, no. That’s because zero episodes of “NCIS” Season 21 have actually been filmed so far, as a result of this year’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Since May 2, no WGA members have been allowed to write new scripts for any struck productions or companies. No SAG-AFTRA members, meanwhile, have been allowed to film or promote any struck projects since the guild’s strike began on July 14. Consequently, McCallum never got to shoot any more scenes as Ducky either this fall or this past summer.
David McCallum wasn’t going to have a major role in NCIS Season 21
CBS
In the hours since it was announced, several past and current “NCIS” stars have been quick to react to the death of David McCallum. Indeed, the general sentiment among the show’s creative team members and fans seems to be one of shared grief. Those same fans will likely have to grapple with the fact that McCallum’s turn as Ducky in the “NCIS” Season 20 finale has now been retroactively turned into his final appearance as the character, too. That said, it seems unlikely that the longtime “NCIS” star was ever going to have an active role in the series’ forthcoming 21st season.
“NCIS” executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson confirmed as much in a recent 20th-anniversary interview with The Hollywood Reporter for the show. During the interview, which was conducted prior to McCallum’s death, Johnson said, “David McCallum doesn’t do that much in the series anymore. David [just turned 90], and he lives in New York. He may come back and do four or five episodes. It’s much too hard on him now, and I think he’s ready to retire.”
All of this is to prove that, outside of a potential tribute to the actor, fans probably shouldn’t head into “NCIS” Season 21 expecting to see any new scenes featuring McCallum. While undeniably tragic, it looks like the actor really did give his final performance as Ducky when he reprised his role as the character in the “NCIS” Season 20 finale earlier this year. As sad as that is, too, it doesn’t take away from the work that McCallum did on “NCIS,” nor should it diminish the way fans view his impact on the show. As Johnson himself noted in his interview with THR, “[David] was amazing from the day he came on.”
