Wilmer Valderrama is saying goodbye to a dear friend.
On September 25, news broke that actor David McCallum (who famously played Donald "Ducky" Mallard on NCIS) died at the age of 90 from natural causes. According to a report from Entertainment Tonight, David was surrounded by loved ones, with his son Peter calling him a "true renaissance man" who could "turn his passions into knowledge." What's more, CBS (the network NCIS airs on) shared with the outlet, "We are deeply saddened by the passing of David McCallum and privileged that CBS was his home for so many years."
Shortly after the announcement was made public, David's co-star paid tribute to their time working together on Instagram. "David, what an immense honor it was to share the screen with you," Wilmer emotionally wrote alongside a photo of the duo side-by-side. "Your professionalism and ability to effortlessly take every one of us on a journey through your art will be felt forever. I will miss you my friend."
Upon seeing Wilmer's public declaration toward his late friend's passing, NCIS fans immediately sent their condolences in the comments.
"Well said!! May he rest in peace 🙌🙌🙌," one person penned on Instagram. "So heartbroken 💔 he seemed like a great man," another shared. "Very sad to hear this. My heart goes out to the cast members of NCIS and his family and friends. [Rest in peace] Ducky. 💕😢," a different follower mourned.
While David was famous for playing Ducky for two decades on NCIS, that wasn't the only role the England native was known for. From 1964-1968, he portrayed Ilya Kuryakin on The Man from U.N.C.L.E., for which he received two Emmy Awards nominations and a Golden Globes nod.
Additionally, David was also a published author, writing his first novel Once a Crooked Man in 2016. He also released a number of albums where he shared his own spin on popular songs from the 1960s.
David will certainly be missed.
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
