David McCallum received a lot of love from his NCIS family after the actor sadly passed away on September 25 at the age of 90. Several actors who worked with David on the long-running CBS series took to social media to share tributes to the late star. Mark Harmon said in a statement that David “lived a great, full, long life.” Wilmer Valderrama called it an “honor” to have worked with David on NCIS.
David, best known for playing Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard on 20 seasons of NCIS, reportedly passed away of natural causes while surrounded by family at New York Presbyterian Hospital. David left behind a profound legacy that was mentioned by many of his former co-stars when they honored the late actor after his death. See all the NCIS cast tributes to David below.
Mark Harmon
Mark and David worked together on the first 19 seasons of NCIS before Mark quit the show. In a statement to TVLine after David’s passing, Mark said, “David lived a great, full, long life. I was in awe when I first met him and all of us on the show were honored to have toed a mark opposite him.” Mark also shared his “condolences” to David’s wife of 56 years, Katherine McCallum, and their family.
Wilmer Valderrama
Wilmer Valderrama, who has played Nick Torres on NCIS since season 14, shared a photo of himself and David on the show in his Instagram tribute. “David, what an immense honor it was to share the screen with you,” Wilmer wrote. “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.”
Brian Dietzen
Brian Dietzen, who has played Jimmy Palmer, Ducky’s protégé, since 2004, had one of the most emotional tributes to David. He shared several pictures of the late actor with a lengthy message where he called David “a mentor, a great scene partner, a wonderful father and husband, and he was my dear friend.”
Brian continued, “I met David on my first day of work at NCIS. I was booked to work one day on the show, but David and I hit it off. Our scene turned out well and they invited me back for more scenes with this screen legend. Several more. Over the course of the next 20 years, David and I (along with our alter-ego’s Ducky and Jimmy) developed a deep friendship and love of our shared work. He was a joy to work with. Always had a smile. Always had something new to add to the page, and ALWAYS had the ability to steal every scene he was in.”
Brian explained that him and David had a bond that went beyond working together on the show. “Whether it was going on field trips for character research, attending charity events or catching some golf together, he was always up for an adventure. The guy could do anything,” he said. “Thank you David. Love you my friend. I’ll miss you.
Katrina Law
Katrina Law shared a picture of David on her Instagram, with the caption, “R.I.P.” Katrina joined NCIS on season 18.
Michael Weatherly
Michael Weatherly was among the former NCIS cast members to honor David after his death. “David McCallum made every moment count, in life and on set,” Michael wrote on Twitter. “Let’s raise a jug and celebrate a funny fantastic authentic man.” He added, “We were lucky to have him bring us Ducky. Let’s send all the love in the world to his beautiful family. Rest In Peace David.”
Emily Wickersham
NCIS alum Emily Wickersham took to her Instagram Story to remember David. “Had the pleasure of working with David for many years and he was the utmost professional and a true legend,” she wrote. “I will miss you David. Sending all my love to your family.”
Lauren Holly
Lauren Holly, who was on NCIS from season 3 to 5, paid tribute to her late co-star on Twitter. “RIP David McCallum. You were the kindest man. Thank you for being you,” the actress said, alongside a black-and-white photo of David.
Diona Reasonover
Actress Diona Reasonover — who portrays Kasie Hines on NCIS — posted a heartfelt Instagram tribute to David.
“Every time I was on set with David, it was a true masterclass,” Diona wrote alongside a photo of her and David. “His wit alone was unmatched. I’m immensely grateful to have shared the screen with such a legend. I learned so much. Thank you, David.”