The return of Ducky took place on NCIS for its 400th episode.
Actor David McCallum has become a part-time participant on the show, with his character of Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard officially retiring back in 2019. He still shows up from time to time as the new NCIS historian.
Ducky has always been a fan-favorite of viewers, which is probably part of the reason that McCallum keeps coming back to play the part.
For the 400th episode of NCIS, Young Ducky was featured, which meant it was flashback time for the show again. Young Ducky is played by actor Adam Campbell, who has taken on the role several times over the years.
During the new episode of the show, McCallum looked a bit older than usual, mostly because it has been so long since we last saw him in an episode. That led to a lot of fans asking about his age.
How old is Ducky on NCIS?
David McCallum was born in September of 1933. That makes him 87 years old now, which is certainly up there in age for an actor to be running around on a show like NCIS. But, it was still great to see him on the screen again.
No matter how many episodes that actor Brian Dietzen gets under his belt as the new Medical Examiner, Dr. Jimmy Palmer, viewers are still going to fondly remember the man who had the job before him. That’s Ducky, who has always had a wonderful relationship with Gibbs (Mark Harmon) which got explored even further during Season 18, Episode 2 of the show.
At least we got to see a little bit of Ducky and Gibbs on-screen before most of the episode was taken over by the younger versions of their characters.
And, if you don’t already know who plays Young Gibbs on NCIS, that role is patrolled by Sean Harmon, who is the son of star Mark Harmon. Yes, there was probably a bit of nepotism involved in Sean getting the role.
Young Franks also popped up in Episode 400, making it a really neat treat for fans who hadn’t expected it.
Will we see more of Ducky on NCIS Season 18?
Hopefully, there are more episodes in the future for David McCallum, even if he is only serving as a consultant on cases. It is always fun to see him on the show, no matter how old he is.
In regard to the NCIS cast itself, there are some spoilers out there about one of the main characters leaving the show very soon. It will take place during a Season 18 episode, but we have a few more weeks before that bombshell gets dropped.
NCIS airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on CBS.
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