The star of ‘NCIS’, David McCallum, Celebrates Long-Lived Love With Katherine Carpenter, His Loving Wife Of 55 Years

“NCIS” covers a fictional squad of special agents and their personal life. The show blends military dramas and police procedurals to create an impactful, fan-favorite phenomenon. The longest-running scripted non-animated primetime TV series, “NCIS,” debuted in September 2003 and went into broadcast syndication.

Given the show’s popularity, it’s no wonder that several of its principal performers have had successful careers and attracted media attention. Mark Harmon, Pauley Perrette, Cote de Pablo, David McCallum, and others have been mainstays.

McCallum was born Sept. 19, 1933, in Maryhill, Glasgow. Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard on NCIS is his most famous role. His roles in “The Great Escape” and “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”

Since his father, David McCallum Sr., was an orchestral violinist, McCallum was encouraged to study music. In his late teens, McCallum moved from playing the oboe to acting and drama. He studied with Joan Collins at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

McCallum has had success in love and profession. After eleven years of marriage, the actor married Katherine Carpenter. Discover their love story.

McCallum has loved art since childhood. McCallum’s art reflects his upbringing in culture and creativity.

He is the second son of cellist Dorothy Dorman and orchestra conductor David McCallum Sr., per The Scotsman. He led the London Philharmonic. “I was born by the Botanic Gardens, but 65 Clouston Street is where my grandfather lived, and most of the time I’d stay there,” McCallum said. “Father worked with the Scottish Orchestra in the 1930s, therefore he would be working at the BBC there.”

He added, “We relocated to Hampstead in 1936, when Father became leader of the London Philharmonic. I was evacuated in 1939–1940.” After that, they lived with McCallum’s aunt for years before finding a house.

McCallum had a tough childhood, but he was always among creative people. The actor began performing as a teenager after appreciating music. He started acting in childhood.

McCallum played The Little Prince in Shakespeare’s “King John” at a local skit and song event. I played the tiny prince having his eyeballs put out by this evil man and earned a standing ovation. I was 8.”

McCallum considered acting after finding it “pretty cool.” As a child, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to accomplish with his life, but he loved performing onstage. “The feeling has never left me,” he said.
After working on BBC Radio, McCallum joined Actors Equity in 1946, according to CBS. He performed in various plays before migrating to the US in 1961 to become a professional actor.

“The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” featured McCallum as Illya Kuryakin, earning him two Emmy nods. The series with Robert Vaughn made McCallum famous, according to The Press and Journal.

During Beatlemania, when the world was obsessed with The Beatles, some of his fan encounters were similar. McCallum has several high-volume and high-intensity clashes with New York City fans.

“Mounted cops rescued me from Central Park,” McCallum said. “The fans caused $25,000 in damage at Macy’s department store, and they had to close Herald Square to get me out.”

Looking back, McCallum seems fine with his popularity and attention. “That is really classic, but you just have to live with it,” he remarked. Then whoever came next dropped you overnight, which was a relief.

As he appeared in more and more TV shows in the years to come, McCallum was clearly starting to create a name for himself as an actor. McCallum showed he could adjust to any job, whether it was a supporting or recurrent one.

“The Greatest Story Ever Told” and “The Great Escape” are among his many cinematic credits. Due to his busy schedule, McCallum hasn’t been as involved in the film industry lately.

Based on his IMDB credits, the actor is best known for his television work, both live-action and animated. Since the 2000s, McCallum has also voiced many characters. He has played several diverse voice acting jobs to this day.

McCallum voiced “The Replacements” for Disney. In 2008 and 2014, the actor voiced Alfred Pennyworth in Batman films.

He voiced Alfred Pennyworth in video games. IMDB lists McCallum as Professor Paradox in several “Ben 10” spin-offs.

McCallum’s contributions to the entertainment industry are numerous. Besides acting, he writes. “Once a Crooked Man” was his 2016 crime book.

The tale follows Harry Murphy, a 30-year-old New York actor, according to the Washington Post. The scenario begins when the commercial celebrity overhears a suspected crime. According to the Washington Post, McCallum authored the book using light humour to tell the subject of a terrible murder.

Despite his many accomplishments, McCallum will likely be remembered for his television career. McCallum’s nearly 20-year role in “NCIS” is unmatched. McCallum plays Ducky, a medical examiner-turned-historian.

Over its 20 seasons, the show has launched many actors and actresses. When the program was revived for its 20th season, fans were eager to see several of their favorite characters, including McCallum as Ducky.

McCallum told The Press and Journal how he got his legendary role. “I was working with Jim Dale on Park Avenue back in 2002 when I got a call from my agency asking me if I was interested in auditioning for the role of a lecherous doctor in a new medical drama,” he said.

The actor added, “I thought to myself, ‘why not?’ so I read the script. I liked it and was invited to audition for CBS in California. I got the part that afternoon after it went well.

“NCIS” has surprised McCallum, who said it’s hard to predict a show’s success. “But ‘NCIS’ has become a phenomenon, (it) has attracted tremendous audiences all around the world, and now I’m hearing from people who have watched me in programs from the 1960s and 1970s after first recognizing me in ‘NCIS.’”

McCallum has played Ducky since the series began. The actor’s long tenure in the job is impressive, but his present marriage is even more so.

McCallum married actress Jill Ireland, according to the Washington Post. She is primarily recognized for her film work but has appeared on television multiple times. She featured in several episodes of “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” with McCallum throughout the first three seasons.

The couple met on “Hell Drivers” in 1957. 1957–1967. The Scotsman reported they had two sons and a daughter and moved to California in the early 1960s. Ireland left him for Charles Bronson, McCallum’s “The Great Escape” co-star. Ireland made 15 films with Bronson.

Though upset, McCallum married Katherine Carpenter the same year. They met in 1965 at a “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” shooting in New York, according to Express. Carpenter was a model. Carpenter was 21, McCallum 32.

Express said that McCallum and Carpenter spent a lot of time together when McCallum was married to Ireland, which raises questions about their relationship. As McCallum promoted a picture in Australia and Asia, Carpenter was “inseparable.” Additionally, McCallum and Ireland’s marriage seemed troubled.

David McCallum, Katherine Carpenter (1967).

After Ireland’s infidelity, McCallum married his new sweetheart. After his divorce from Ireland, McCallum proposed to Carpenter, and they married a few months later, according to Express.

McCallum and Carpenter have a son, Peter, a daughter, Sophie, and several grandkids, proving that they make each other happy.

Carpenter has always been stunning, inside and out. Her golden heart has kept her pursuing more impassioned endeavors in recent years, despite her wonderful appearance.

Former model and actress Carpenter is best known. CBS said that she is now an interior designer and resides in New York with her longtime husband. She works with McCallum on charity causes, including the US Marine Corps.

McCallum and Carpenter are married for 55 years. Inspired Stories claims the two danced for hours! Since McCallum is private, many facts about their love life and family have been withheld from the media. The pair seems supportive and still in love, even if most of their courtship has been kept out of the spotlight.