'NCIS' David McCallum Was Diagnosed with Dupuytren's Contracture & Had Surgery in 2009 to Be Able to Play Music

• David McCallum did not become a professional musician, but music remained important to him.
• However, after a genetic disorder diagnosis, he feared he would never play the oboe again in the late 2010s.
• The actor cut down his airtime on "NCIS" in the last few years.

The late David McCallum was born to musicians; his dad played the violin while his mother was a cellist. When he was three, the family relocated to London, England, where his dad played with the London Philharmonic and Royal Philharmonic.

In his youth, McCallum studied the oboe at the Royal Academy of Music. Not feeling good enough to take the art form further, he changed his focus to theatre.

He had a brief stint at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, sharing a classroom with Joan Collins. The star found fame as a secret agent in "The Man From U.N.C.L.E" and had a career renaissance as "NCIS'" Donald "Ducky" Mallard in the 2000s.

Though he did not become a professional musician like his father, McCallum played the oboe for enjoyment. While playing along to a Mozart concert on television, he discovered that he could not reach all the notes.

He was later diagnosed with Dupuytren's contracture, whereby tissue knots develop under the skin. Over a few years, this can create a cord that pulls one's fingers, and in rare cases, toes and the soles of feet, into a bent claw-like position.

Although it did not disturb his work, he feared that he would not be able to play the oboe anymore as his fingers "had become so bent." He added, "I didn't want to entertain that thought."

With a layman's expertise in forensics from playing a pathologist on "NCIS," once he received the prognosis, he "set about investigating it" for himself. In late 2010, he had an operation to correct the effects.

His post-op care included months of physical therapy, and to his delight, he found that Pilates brought "suppleness" back to his hand. The condition occurs in roughly five percent of the US population, per the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

David McCallum Had A 'Magnificent Life'

"I have no regrets," McCallum told Closer in 2017 in an interview about his long career in Hollywood and personal life. "I've had a magnificent life all the way." He made his first of over 430 appearances as Ducky in the "NCIS" pilot in 2003.

The fan favorite announced in 2018 that he would return to season 16 on a "limited schedule." McCallum clarified that this arrangement allowed him to spend more time with his wife, Katherine Carpenter, their grandchildren, and Nickie, the cat.

He remained on the show until the 20th season before he died from natural causes in September 2023. "RIP DAVID DUCKY MCCALLUM. You will be missed," a viewer wrote on the NCISverse Facebook page. "A great loss to all, including 'Ducky's' legion of admirers. God Bless, R.I.P. Young man. Thank you," another said.

"So sad to hear," a third commented, "such a good actor remember the man from uncle and ducky ncis. R.I.P David. G." David McCallum was survived by his partner of 56 years, their two kids, his two sons from his first marriage, and eight grandkids.