NCIS fans adored David McCallum in his role as Ducky, but studio bosses reportedly were not happy with the decision to cast the Scottish actor in the role
David McCallum, adored by NCIS fans for his role as Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard, almost didn’t make it to the screen.
The Scottish actor joined the cast during the CBS show’s backdoor pilot and remained until his death in 2023.
However, studio executives initially opposed his casting. Former NCIS director James Whitmore Jr. revealed that producer Don Bellisario was so adamant about David’s inclusion that he threatened to cancel the show if the studio didn’t agree.
“When they cast David McCallum as Ducky, the studio said, ‘No way, we’re not casting this old character actor in the role,” James recalled.
Bellisario’s response was firm: “Don said, ‘If you don’t, we’re not doing the show.’ He was that serious about it. The studio went with it, and of course, David McCallum is gold,” The studio eventually conceded, and as James put it in a previous interview with The Hollywood Reporter, “Don said, ‘If you don’t, we’re not doing the show.’ He was that serious about it.
The studio went with it, and of course, David McCallum is gold,” Peter Golden, former head of CBS casting, speculated that the initial resistance might have been due to David’s British nationality, given the show’s distinctly American flavor.
He mused: “I think it was because David McCallum was British. The feeling was, ‘Can you do that? ‘ This was such an American show.”
David McCallum, who played the beloved character Ducky on NCIS, once shared how he landed the role. He recalled receiving a phone call inviting him to meet with casting director and film producer Bonnie Timmermann for the pilot episode, reports the Mirror US.
After several auditions, David had a meeting with Don Bellisario. “Afterwards, Don came out and put his arm around me, because he’s a great deal bigger than I am, and said, ‘David,’ … and I realized I might have the charm,” David revealed during an event at The Television Academy Foundation.
He got the news that he’d secured the role while he was in Los Angeles trying to fix a flat tire.
He humorously added: “And I said, well then, I’m gonna go get a car that works.”
Following David’s passing in 2023, NCIS honored his character in an episode titled The Stories We Leave Behind, where the team investigated one of Ducky’s unresolved cases as a tribute.
NCIS executive producers Steven D. Binder and David North also released a statement after his death.
They expressed: “For over 20 years, David McCallum endeared himself to audiences around the world playing the wise, quirky, and sometimes enigmatic, Dr Donald.