‘NCIS’ David McCallum Was ‘Grand-Ducky’ to 8 Grandkids & Caring Dad to Kids Who’ve Chosen Their Own Paths in Life

• "NCIS" star David McCallum died peacefully at 90, surrounded by family.
• McCallum was married to his second wife for 56 years after his first wife was taken from him by a co-star.
• He is survived by his big family, including eight grandkids he doted on.

"NCIS" legend David McCallum was a big part of the CBS show since its beginning. His performance as Russian spy Ilya Kuryakin in "The Man From UNCLE" gained him recognition, which earned him a leading role in the investigative series.

McCallum died peacefully of natural causes, surrounded by his family at the New York Presbyterian Hospital on Monday. He was 90. His son Peter shared a statement on behalf of the family and said his mother was distraught by the loss and wished she could still grow older with her husband.

Peter praised his father for his selflessness, especially when it came to his family. He also highlighted how much the actor adored his role as a grandfather.

Before he joined "NCIS," McCallum dabbled in a few movies, one of which was "Great Escape," where he co-starred with Charles Bronson. This film did not hold particularly good memories for McCallum because it was where his ex-wife Jill Ireland and Bronson started their love affair.

Despite his wife leaving him for a famous actor, McCallum took it well. He said he never hated Bronson and tried not to dwell in negativity for too long, but he admitted it was difficult and painful because he and Ireland shared three children.

Reports suggested that Bronson told McCallum that he would marry his wife, but McCallum had no memory of those words. Bronson and Ireland stayed together until she died in 1990.

The model lost her battle with breast cancer and passed at 54 years old. Although it was not easy for McCallum to step into the world of single fatherhood as a father of three, he eventually found happiness.

David McCallum Found New Love, and It Helped Him Overcome Another Loss

After losing his wife to Bronson in 1963, McCallum met his love, Katherine Carpenter, at a photo shoot for "The Man From UNCLE" in 1965. Carpenter was working as an actress and model, and on the day they met, she was one of the models while the "NCIS" star was acting alongside Robert Vaughn.

The model was 21 years old at the time, and McCallum was eleven years older than her, but the couple made their relationship public soon after getting to know one another. Even though McCallum was legally married to Ireland, he showed off his newfound love on his publicity tour for "The Man From U.N.C.L.E."

After dating for a few years, the couple tied the knot in 1967 after McCallum finalized his divorce with Ireland. They were married for over 56 years at the time of his death, and they had two children, Peter and Sophie.

In 1989, McCallum was faced with what he described as the worst event of his life, which was the death of his 27-year-old son Jason, who died from an accidental overdose.

For many years, the actor avoided speaking about his son's passing, but in 2010, he talked about the regret he felt for not being there to help him during this period.

After his divorce from Ireland, he moved from California, where his children were, to New York, which meant the actor had less contact with Jason. McCallum confessed that Jason got involved with the wrong crowds. Even though his mother tried her best to help him out of it, the "drug culture" took his young life.

Instead of focusing on the "what if" scenarios, McCallum said he accepted that his son was gone, but he held on to the fond memories he had of him.

Before Jason died, he was expecting a child, and now his son Tony has become a legacy he left behind and a living memory of him. Meanwhile, McCallum was grateful for the help of his wife during his painful loss.

David McCallum Was a Grandfather Ready to Pass Down His Acting Tips

McCallum was a proud grandfather who had just turned 90 when he passed on. His children have taken different career paths from acting, even though some still work in the limelight.

His son Val, from his marriage with Ireland, is a musician living in Los Angeles. His brother Paul is a photographer also residing in sunny California. From his marriage with Carpenter, McCallum's son Peter works as an advertising executive. His daughter Sophie worked in real estate before dedicating her time to raising her children.

McCallum's children made him a grandfather of eight, and he was reportedly excited to give his grandkids a few notes on what it takes to make it as an actor.

McCallum was passionate about his acting career and showed no signs of stopping. He had said that he would continue to make appearances on "NCIS” and hoped to continue for as long as possible.

As for his grandchildren, McCallum revealed that he did not want them to call him "grandpa” because it sounded old, so they called him granddaddy.

When his grandchildren felt extra funny, they reminded him of his "NCIS" days and called him "grand-ducky,” inspired by his character, Donald "Ducky" Mallard, which the actor did not mind.