David McCallum’s wife was kidnapped by his co-star.
The most difficult aspect of his divorce from his first marriage was being a single father.
McCallum found love again, but he also lost his child.
The “NCIS” veteran is now a grandpa to eight grandchildren, whom he affectionately refers to as “grand-ducky.”
David McCallum has been a member of the CBS show “NCIS” since its inception. His portrayal of Russian spy Ilya Kuryakin in “The Man From UNCLE” brought him notoriety, and he was given a prominent role in the investigative series.
Prior to joining “NCIS,” McCallum appeared in a few films, one of which was “Great Escape,” in which he co-starred with Charles Bronson.
McCallum has no fond memories of this photograph because it was taken when his ex-wife Jill Ireland and Bronson began their love affair.
For an aspiring young actor, having your wife leave you for a famous actor might feel like the end of the world, but McCallum handled it beautifully. He claimed he never despised Bronson and tried not to concentrate on the negative for too long, but it was tough and hard because he and Ireland had three children.
Bronson said he informed McCallum he would marry his wife, but McCallum had no recollection of such comments. Bronson and Ireland were married until she died in 1990.
The model died at the age of 54 after a battle with breast cancer. Although it was difficult for McCallum to adjust to life as a single parent of three children, he finally found contentment.
David McCallum found new love, which helped him overcome yet another setback.
Following Bronson’s death in 1963, McCallum met his future wife Katherine Carpenter in 1965 during a photo shoot for “The Man From UNCLE.”
Carpenter worked as an actor and model, and on this day, she was one of the models for “NCIS” star Robert Vaughn.
The model was 21 at the time, and McCallum was eleven years her senior, yet the couple made their relationship public soon after meeting.
Despite the fact that McCallum was legally married to Ireland, he flaunted his newfound love throughout his marketing tour for “The Man From UNCLE.”
After dating for a few years, the couple married in 1967, shortly after McCallum’s divorce from Ireland was finalized. They have two children, Peter and Sophie, and have been married for nearly 50 years.
Carpenter has made a few cameos on “NCIS,” but she and her husband are said to collaborate on charity endeavors.
McCallum was confronted with what he called the “worst event of his life,” the death of his 27-year-old son Jason from an accidental overdose.
The actor didn’t talk about his son’s death for a long time, but 21 years later, in 2010, he said he was sorry he wasn’t there to help him through this hard time.
After his divorce from Ireland, he relocated from California to New York, leaving the actor with little touch with Jason.
Jason got connected with the wrong crowds, according to McCallum. Despite his mother’s greatest efforts to help him, the “drug culture” snatched his young life.
McCallum said he accepted his son’s death rather than dwell on “what if” scenarios, but he cherishes his memories of him.
McCallum claimed that he was expecting a kid when Jason died, and his son Tony has become a legacy he left behind and a living remembrance of Jason. The actor’s wife was there to support him at this difficult time.
David McCallum is a grandfather who is eager to pass on his acting knowledge.
McCallum is now an 89-year-old grandfather. His offspring have pursued careers other than performing, while some remain in the spotlight.
Val, his son from his marriage to Ireland, is a musician who lives in Los Angeles. His brother Paul is also a photographer who lives in sunny California.
Peter McCallum, McCallum’s son from his marriage to Carpenter, works as an advertising executive. Sophie, his daughter, worked in real estate before devoting her time to raising her children.
McCallum’s children have made him a grandpa of eight, and he is apparently eager to share his knowledge of what it takes to make it as an actor with them.
He is still enthusiastic about his acting profession and shows no signs of slowing down. McCallum stated that he will continue to appear on “NCIS” and wishes to do so for as long as is feasible.
McCallum claimed that he does not want his grandkids to call him “grandpa” because it sounds elderly, so they call him “granddaddy.”
When his grandchildren want to make him laugh, they talk about his time on “NCIS” and call him “grand-ducky,” which he doesn’t mind because it comes from his “NCIS” character, Donald “Ducky” Mallard.