A prolific Scottish actor, David McCallum was born on September 19, 1933 in Glasgow. Though known as the son of concertmaster violinist David McCallum Sr., he made a name for himself in the entertainment industry for his roles on several TV series and work on over 30 books on tape and CDs. He was educated at Hampstead’s University College School, and was originally headed for a career in music. He initially enrolled at the Royal Academy of Music but left it to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
David McCallum began his acting career with small roles in numerous British productions, such as films during the late 1950s and early 1960s. In 1964, he appeared as the blond Russian agent Illya Kuryakin on The Man from U.N.C.L.E., which catapulted him to a sex symbol status. He received two Emmy Award nominations for his work, and the hero worship towards him even led to a record by Alma Cogan. He also gained acclaim for his role on the film Billy Budd, but he never gained as much success later on in his career. He became a familiar face on television, getting roles on shows like Colditz, Sapphire & Steel, and the series remake of The Invisible Man. He later became known for playing Judas Iscariot on the film The Greatest Story Ever Told. McCallum also rose to fame by recording albums for Capitol Records, but didn’t sing on any of them. Because of his training as a classical musician, he conceived a mix of the oboe, French horn, guitar as well as drums. During the late 1980s, he appeared mostly on stage productions. He acted alongside Katy Manning, Jack Smethurst and Eric Sykes in Australia on Run for your Wife and toured the country. Some of his guest roles were in Babylon 5, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, SeaQuest DSV, The Outer Limits, Sex and the City and JAG. In 2003, he joined the cast of the CBS series NCIS, portraying the character of Dr. Donald Mallard. He was also seen on the series The Replacements, and has been known for his work in narrating acclaimed do!$#!#entaries like Titanic: Death of a Dream and Titanic: The Legend Lives On.