David Keith McCallum Jr. (1933 - 2023)

Born 19 Sep 1933 in Maryhill, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Jill Dorothy (Ireland) Bronson — married 11 May 1957 (to Aug 1966) in Islington, London, England, United Kingdom

Died 25 Sep 2023 at age 90 in New York City, New York, United States

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Scottish-American actor and musician, best-known for The Man from U.N.C.L.E and NCIS

Biography

David McCallum Jr. is Notable.

David Keith McCallum was born on 19 September 1933 in the Maryhill section of Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was born the second of two sons to David McCallum, Sr., a renowned orchestral violinist, and Dorothy (née Dorman) McCallum, a talented cellist. The family moved to London, England when he was still a child, but he was evacuated back to rural Scotland, during World War II. After the War, he returned to London and earned a scholarship to University College School in Hampstead, Greater London, where he prepared for a musical career on the concert stage. He also began his acting career while still at school. This career, which eclipsed but never completely replaced his classical musical training, was interrupted by "National Service" (military conscription) during which he served in the Middlesex Regiment, Third Battalion, British Army and rose to the rank of Lieutenant. ^[1]

McCallum first performed in 'bit parts' in British films, then was signed by the Rank Organisation in 1956. He married British actress, Jill Dorothy Ireland, on 11 May 1957 in Islington, London, England, UK.^[2] They had 3 sons, included an adopted son: Jason McCallum, but later divorced in Los Angeles, California, in August 1966.^[3] In 1967, after his amicable divorce with Jill D. Ireland, he remarried. The couple supported many charitible causes in the 1980-90s.

He appeared in The Great Escape (1963) as 'Lieutenant Commander Eric Ashley-Pitt' (named "Dispersal" in the film). McCallum was one of last The Great Escape actors to pass away.

David McCallum as Illya Kuryakin (1965)

From 1964-1968, McCallum starred in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as 'Illya Kuryakin', a mysterious Russian agent. This role made him a pop culture icon, some even describing him as a sex symbol. This was helped by his undoubtable on-screen chemistry with co-star Robert Vaughn, and McCallum received more fan mail than even Clark Gable and Elvis Presley.

McCallum played roles in various television series, such as Colditz, Sapphire & Steel, Murder, She Wrote, seaQuest DSV, and Babylon 5. He also performed on stage in Australia, and in films worldwide.

David McCallum as Dr 'Ducky' Mallard (NCIS)

Another popular character - 'Dr Donald "Ducky" Mallard' - appeared in the television series NCIS and was played by McCallum. An amusing conversation occurred when a new agent asks what 'Dr Mallard' looked like when he was young; the reply was "Illya Kuryakin".

On 27 August 1999, David K. McCallum was naturalized as a US citizen.

In 2016, David McCallum published his first novel: Once a Crooked Man about an actor trying to foil a murder.

David Keith McCallum, Jr., passed away on 25 September 2023 at 90 years old of natural causes after a brief illness at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York City, New York. He is survived by his second wife, three sons, a daughter, and eight grandchildren.

Filmography

For complete filmography, please see freespace page

• 1963 The Great Escape, as Lt. Cmdr. Eric Ashley-Pitt, "Dispersal"
  
  • Based on an escape by British and Commonwealth prisoners of war from a German POW camp during the Second World War
• 1964 To Trap a Spy, as Illya Kuryakin
  
  • (A Man from U.N.C.L.E. film)
• 1965 The Spy with My Face, as Illya Kuryakin
  
  • (A Man from U.N.C.L.E. film)
• The Greatest Story Ever Told, as Judas Iscariot
  
  • Retelling of the story of Jesus, from the Nativity through the Resurrection
• 1966 One Spy Too Many, as Illya Kuryakin
  
  • (A Man from U.N.C.L.E. film)
• 1966 The Spy in the Green Hat, as Illya Kuryakin
  
  • (A Man from U.N.C.L.E. film)
• One of Our Spies Is Missing, as Illya Kuryakin
  
  • (A Man from U.N.C.L.E. film)
• The Helicopter Spies, as Illya Kuryakin
  
  • (A Man from U.N.C.L.E. film)
• How to Steal the World, as Illya Kuryakin
  
  • (A Man from U.N.C.L.E. film)

Sources

1. ↑ Lieutenant: London Gazette
2. ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVDG-KJ7W : 8 October 2014), Jill D Ireland and null, 1957; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1957, quarter 2, vol. 5C, p. 1693, Islington, London, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
3. ↑ "California Divorce Index, 1966-1984," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPB2-F3Z : 15 May 2014), Jill D Ireland and David K Mccallum, Aug 1966; from "California Divorce Index, 1966-1984," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2007); citing Los Angeles City, California, Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento.

See Also:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_McCallum
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38301088
• Memorial: Find a Grave (has image & biography)
  Find A Grave: Memorial #260060300 (accessed 26 September 2023)
  Memorial page for David Keith McCallum Jr. (19 Sep 1933-25 Sep 2023); Maintained by A (contributor 50887137).