British Actor, David McCallum Dies Aged 90
British actor, David McCallum who became a star by playing a secret agent in 1960s spy drama ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.‘ has lost his life at the age of 90.
More recently, the Scottish-born actor was known for his long-running role as a medical examiner on the hit TV show NCIS.
“We will miss his warmth and endearing sense of humor that lit up any room or soundstage he stepped onto,” the NCIS account said on social media.
The actor also starred in Colditz, The Invisible Man, and Sapphire & Steel.
“David was a gifted actor and author, and beloved by many around the world,” the NCIS tribute said.
“He led an incredible life, and his legacy will forever live on through his family and the countless hours on film and television that will never go away.”
His role as mysterious Soviet agent Illya Kuryakin in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. won him many fans and made him one of the decade’s biggest TV stars.
The series ended in 1968, but not before he received several Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
Four years later, he played an RAF officer in the BBC’s Colditz, set in the German World War Two prisoner of war camp.
In The Invisible Man, he starred as Dr. Daniel Westin, a scientist who inadvertently discovered the secret of invisibility.
At the end of the 70s, he teamed up with Joanna Lumley as a time-traveling agent, assigned by an unknown authority to safeguard time itself, in Sapphire & Steel.
On the big screen, McCallum had roles in films including The Great Escape, The Greatest Story Ever Told, and A Night to Remember.
He also guest starred on TV series Perry Mason and The Outer Limits.
Born in Glasgow to parents who were classical musicians, McCallum initially pursued a career in music before finding work as an actor.
The actor passed away in New York on Monday. His death was said to have been due to natural causes.
NCIS co-star Michael Weatherly was among the others paying tribute.
Sharing a signed photo of McCallum alongside Steve McQueen in The Great Escape, Weatherly wrote: “David McCallum made every moment count, in life and on set. Let’s raise a jug and celebrate a funny fantastic authentic man.
“I’ve only got three autographs. [Sean] Connery, Tony Bennett, and McCallum,” he continued. “I felt the same way as Steve McQueen in this picture from The Great Escape: Wow! It’s David McCallum! No one did it better.”
