NCIS legends recall 'inappropriate' David McCallum story as Cote de Pablo 'admires' actor

NCIS icons have honoured their late friend and co-star David McCallum by recalling fond memories of the Ducky actor from behind the scenes.

McCallum, once celebrated for his roles in The Man from UNCLE and The Great Escape, became endeared to NCIS fans as the team's Scottish chief medical examiner Ducky, a character introduced in the inaugural episode, Yankee White, back in 2003.

However, the hearts of NCIS cast members and admirers were shattered upon hearing of his death two years ago, with the CBS crime drama paying homage to McCallum in the subsequent year.

In the season 21 episode titled The Stories We Leave Behind, Ducky's death is depicted, leading to a poignant funeral scene where his colleagues gather to mourn, particularly his mentee Jimmy Palmer (portrayed by Brian Dietzen), who was deeply affected by the loss.

Now, NCIS alumni Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, and Sasha Alexander have taken a moment to commemorate their cherished co-star.

During an instalment of Weatherly and de Pablo's podcast Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch, they were joined by special guest Sasha Alexander, known for her role as Kate Todd, who discussed her experiences on the legendary series.

Alexander then revealed that post-NCIS, she took on the role of coroner Dr Maura Isles in Rizzles and Isles, prompting Weatherly to comment: "So you learned from Ducky", to which she concurred.

Subsequently, the actor who brought Tony DiNozzo to life raised a toast saying "Cheers to David McCallum", as they all raised their glasses in a gesture of respect.

"Dear David. Dear David. Oh my gosh he was so naughty, so inappropriate. You know what David, you were really inappropriate! In the best way but oh my gosh, wasn't he?"

Weatherly brought up a memorable moment with McCallum to Alexander, recalling: "He brought back the painting you had given to him [as a gift] and he didn't like it so he just brought it back to your trailer.

"'I won't have it, I won't have it. I don't know what to do with this'," he said, eliciting laughter from Alexander.

De Pablo weighed in: "By the way, when I heard the story, I thought how brilliantly refreshing.

"To have that level of honesty, he really doesn't care. You're not having someone go 'oh thank you so much'.

"I've always been taught to go 'oh thank you so much' and then you give it away or whatever."

Alexander responded: "That is the polite thing to do, come on Cote! We were raised a certain way."

De Pablo defended her viewpoint with a grin, saying: "I guess what I'm saying is I admire it a little bit because it is so honest", and Alexander smiled: "I totally agree."

NCIS is available to watch on CBS.