Faithful viewers of NCIS look forward to seeing familiar faces each week. Fans have come to know and love Leroy Jethro Gibbs (played by Mark Harmon), Timothy McGee (played by Sean Murray), Eleanor Bishop (played by Emily Wikersham), and Nick Torres (played by Wilmer Valderrama). Another fan favorite is Ducky, played by actor David McCallum. However, much to fans’ dismay, McCallum hasn’t had as much screen time as before. What’s going on with McCallum’s character, Ducky? Is David McCallum leaving NCIS? Here’s what we know.
How long David McCallum has played Ducky
David McCallum first appeared on NCIS in a 2003 episode titled “Yankee White.” His character, Dr. Donald
“Ducky” Mallard, is the chief medical examiner. One of Ducky’s quirks is talking
to the cadavers while he works on them. During season 6 episode 17, in an
episode titled “South by Southwest,” Ducky said dead bodies tell him a lot
about the cases, so it’s only fair for him to talk back. “Their bodies tell me
a great deal, it helps to reciprocate,” he said. Ducky is also known for having
long-winded discussions with his co-workers and sharing stories from the past. Before
NCIS, McCallum appeared on the series
The Education of Max Bickford from
2001 to 2002. He played the character Walter Thornhill.
Is David McCallum coming back to NCIS?
In season 16, episode 17 (titled “Silent Service”), Ducky is
seen preparing for his last day with NCIS. His hope was to begin his retirement
and finally relax. However, in a later scene, Director Leon Vance, played by actor
Rocky Carroll, offers Ducky a new position. He offers to make him NCIS’ historian.
“FBI and CIA have agency historians, whose purpose is to ensure that the
collective knowledge of those institutions live on for future generations,”
said the director. He told Ducky he could work part time as NCIS’ historian and
come and go as he pleases instead of retiring. Ducky agreed and accepted the
offer.
The show’s writers
left the door open for McCallum to make an occasional appearance. Since his
character isn’t dead, and he didn’t fully retire, fans can expect to see Ducky
show up in some episodes. It doesn’t seem like McCallum is gone for good. He
still appears in the show’s opening credits, so that’s a good sign that he will
be making some stops by the NCIS offices now and then.
Is Cote de Pablo returning to NCIS?
Another character fans have questions about is Ziva David, who is played by actress Cote de Pablo. After being absent for a few years, viewers were excited but confused to see Ziva unexpectedly show up in a recent episode since her character was supposed to be dead. Those who have been following the show for a long time are hoping her character will be resurrected. As of this writing, there’s no word about what will become of Ziva’s character.
Read more: ‘NCIS’:
Is Mark Harmon Taking a Break from the Show?
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