'NCIS' Star David McCallum Is Survived by Several Children and Even More Grandchildren

For all intents and purposes, David McCallum was an actor who defined an entire generation of television. He initially received worldwide recognition after he debuted in the 1960s with his starring role in the spy thriller series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. He would go on to nab several other notable roles in both film and television before cementing himself as a crime drama icon. For 20 years between 2003 and 2023, he was known for playing Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard in NCIS.

David McCallum was active as an actor for nearly his entire life. On Sept. 25, 2023, he passed away at age 90, surrounded by his family. He left behind a legacy of classic roles that have all but immortalized him as a television legend.

Within that legacy, he is also survived by his wife and many children, some of whom followed in his footsteps in the acting and entertainment industry. Here's what we know so far about David's children.

David was married twice throughout his life. His first marriage was to actress Jill Ireland and lasted for 10 years between 1957 and 1967. In the same year that he became separated from Jill, he got married to interior designer Katherine Carpenter, with whom he remained married until his death.

Between both marriages, David had five children.

With Jill, he had three sons named Paul, Jason, and Val. His eldest son Paul briefly had his own stint in acting between 1982 and 1987, having had minor roles in several thriller films.

Jason was David and Jill's adopted son and also dabbled in some acting jobs. However, he passed away from an accidental drug overdose in 1989.

Their youngest son, Val, is a professional guitarist who has previously worked with the likes of Sheryl Crow and the Wallflowers. He is currently still active.

With Katherine, David had two more children, son Peter and daughter Sophie. Though not much is known about Peter, he did speak out about his father's death. In an interview with Closer Weekly, he called David "the kindest, coolest, most patient and loving father."

As for Sophie, she credits her parents as being thoughtful and uplifting through recovering from alcoholism. They also offered their support as Sophie began her career as a self-help coach, according to her interview with VoyageMIA.

David — who was also a proud grandparent to eight grandchildren — passed away at New York Presbyterian Hospital six days after his 90th birthday. Reportedly, he died of natural causes and was surrounded by loved ones at the time of his death.

He was remembered fondly by both his family and his NCIS co-stars. On Feb. 19, 2024, NCIS payed homage to the late actor with a tribute episode dedicated to both the actor and his character. In the show, Ducky is revealed to have died peacefully in his sleep.