David McCallum, NCIS Star, Dead at 90

David McCallum, star of NCIS and The Man From U.N.C.L.E., has died at the age of 90. According to a statement from CBS, McCallum died from natural causes and was surrounded by family at the NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital. “We are deeply saddened by the passing of David McCallum and privileged that CBS was his home for so many years,” said the statement. “David was a gifted actor and author, and beloved by many around the world. He led an incredible life, and his legacy will forever live on through his family and the countless hours on film and television that will never go away.” For 20 seasons, he starred on NCIS as Donald “Ducky” Mallard, the official medical examiner for the NCIS Major Case Response Team. He eventually passed the examiner tools to his former assistant, Dr. James Palmer (Brian Dietzen), and his character became the NCIS historian.

McCallum first gained worldwide recognition as the mysterious Russian agent Illya Kuryakin on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. in the 1960s. McCallum’s role in the show was intended to be a small one, as he only had four lines in the first episode. But after gaining fans’ support, he, alongside his co-star Robert Vaughn, earned immense popularity globally, and both became heartthrobs, with McCallum gaining a Beatles-like popularity with teenage fans. Thirty-five years later, he found his next iconic role as the lovable “Ducky” Mallard on NCIS for 20 seasons. It became his favorite role to play, as he loved learning about forensic science. He was the last remaining member of the original NCIS main cast.

Below are reactions to McCallum’s death from his NCIS co-stars.