{"id":3721,"date":"2023-10-10T17:37:37","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T17:37:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/used82.com\/?p=3721"},"modified":"2023-10-10T17:37:37","modified_gmt":"2023-10-10T17:37:37","slug":"david-mccallum-hated-this-one-thing-about-mark-harmon-on-the-ncis-set-real-reason-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/used82.com\/?p=3721","title":{"rendered":"David McCallum hated this one thing about Mark Harmon on the \u2018NCIS\u2019 set \u2013 real reason revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"

David McCallum\u2019s passing has been tough on everyone, not least on his family. They were able to be by his side and say their last goodbyes before he passed away, and now, the\u00a0NCIS<\/em>\u00a0star has been honored by family, friends, and former colleagues. That includes his former co-star, Mark Harmon.<\/strong><\/p>\n

David and Mark worked together\u00a0<\/em>for many years on\u00a0NCIS<\/em>. Given that they were colleagues for so long, they usually spent many hours together, both on and off set. But during shooting, sometimes the actors and crew like to do fun things to keep the spirit up.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Mark Harmon was the main prankster on the\u00a0NCIS<\/em>\u00a0set. However, some people were intentionally left out of these shenanigans. Years ago, David McCallum revealed the real reason why his co-star never played any practical jokes on him.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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David McCallum<\/h2>\n

David McCallum was a loved actor and musician throughout his entire career. But compared to many others in the business, he found success having two completely different careers in different eras.<\/p>\n

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Born on September 19, 1933, in Glasgow, Scotland, McCallum followed in his parents\u2019 footsteps by\u00a0becoming a musician<\/a>. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, England, but not long after, he left for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.<\/p>\n

In 1946, he joined the Actors\u2019 Equity and began working for BBC Radio. Then, several years later, in repertory theater. It was there that McCallum starred in several productions, such as\u00a0Julius Ceasar<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Amadeus<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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After McCallum moved to the US and was cast as Illya Kuryakin in the television hit show\u00a0The Man From U.N.C.L.E<\/em>, success came fast. He was nominated for two Emmy Awards for his performance.<\/p>\n

The Man From U.N.C.L.E<\/em>\u00a0ended up being a huge hit, with McCallum staying on the show for a total of 105 episodes over four years.<\/p>\n

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While he may have been starstruck when he met the guest stars on\u00a0The Man From U.N.C<\/em>.L.E<\/em>, by the time the series reached the pinnacle of its success, the Scottish actor had become a major star in his own right.<\/p>\n

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According to an interview with\u00a0Press & Journal<\/em>, David received more fan mail than anyone else in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer\u2019s history, including superstars like\u00a0Elvis<\/a>\u00a0Presley. Once, he visited the\u00a0White House<\/a>, and while being escorted to meet the President, a Secret Service agent told him: \u201cYou\u2019re the reason I got this job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"David
Silver Screen Collection\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the mid-1960s, McCallum landed a record deal, releasing four albums with Capitol Records. He worked with composer and producer David Axelrod, recording his own songs and interpretations of many famous hits, including\u00a0I Can\u2019t Get No Satisfaction<\/em>,\u00a0Louie Louie,\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Downtown<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Some of McCallum\u2019s songs became huge years later. His most famous song,\u00a0The Edge<\/em>, was sampled by rap artist Dr. Dre as the intro and riff for his track\u00a0The Next Episode<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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David McCallum as Ducky on \u2018NCIS\u2019<\/h2>\n
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McCallum was a massive star and a fan favorite throughout the 1960s. In later years, he garnered a new, younger crowd thanks to his performances on\u00a0NCIS.\u00a0<\/em>In 2003, he appeared on the hit show for the first time as Ducky and never left.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was working with Jim Dale on (New York\u2019s) Park Avenue back in 2002 when I got a call from my agent asking me if I was interested in auditioning for the role of a lecherous doctor in a new medical drama,\u201d McCallum recalled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought to myself, \u2018Why not?’\u201d<\/p>\n

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The same day, McCallum found out that he had nailed the audition. So he landed the part, and the rest is history. To date, McCallum has starred as Ducky in 423 episodes of the show. A by-product is that his fanbase has once again grown to monolithic proportions. However, that didn\u2019t only span to fans but also co-workers.<\/p>\n

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Over the years, David McCallum had worked with many talented actors, and some of them were even considered idols in his eyes. Once he was cast on\u00a0NCIS<\/em>, it turned out that he was someone who other very prominent actors looked up to.<\/p>\n

David worked with the likes of\u00a0Sean Murray<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Pauley Perrette<\/a>\u00a0through his\u00a0NCIS<\/em>\u00a0stint. However, maybe the most prominent star was\u00a0Mark Harmon<\/a>, starring as the one-and-only Leroy Jethro Gibbs.<\/p>\n

\"NCIS\"
Shutterstock\/Joe Seer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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According to reports, when Harmon met David McCallum for the first time, he was starstruck. The two appeared on a 2003 episode of\u00a0JAG<\/em>\u00a0together. Harmon was excited to meet McCallum, saying he couldn\u2019t believe he was shaking the famous hand of Illya Kuryakin, McCallum\u2019s character in\u00a0The<\/em>\u00a0Man from U.N.C.L.E.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t imagine I\u2019m shaking the hand of Illya Kuryakin,\u201d executive producer Steven D. Binder\u00a0recalled<\/a>\u00a0Harmon saying. For his part, McCallum had a hilarious reaction: \u201cGood God, man, that was 40 years ago!’\u201d<\/p>\n

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Rocky relationships on set<\/h2>\n

Life on the set at\u00a0NCIS<\/em>\u00a0was good for David McCallum. However, as in any other workplace, there was sometimes friction between the actors.<\/p>\n

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For example, Mark Harmon and Pauley Perrette\u2019s relationship deteriorated, and in the end, Pauley decided to leave the show because of it.<\/p>\n

In 2017, following 15 seasons on the show, Perrette announced she was leaving\u00a0NCIS<\/em>. Just days after, she took to X (then formerly known as Twitter), where she implied she\u2019d left the show due to \u201cmultiple physical assaults.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to several news outlets, Perrette and Harmon\u2019s relationship had turned rather icy due to a dog bite on set.<\/p>\n

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In 2019, she wrote on X that she was \u201cnever going back to NCIS\u201d and was \u201cterrified\u201d of lead actor Mark Harmon.<\/p>\n

Speaking with\u00a0USA Today<\/em>, she declined to discuss her tweets further.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is a part of my past now, and it\u2019s nothing that I have any need to talk about again, other than one thing: I\u2019m certainly grateful for having the opportunity to play that character and I always will be,\u201d she\u00a0said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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While Mark Harmon and Pauley Perrette\u2019s feud ended as she let the set, David McCallum continued with his work on\u00a0NCIS<\/em>. At the time, he had also become an author, releasing his first novel,\u00a0Once a Crooked Man<\/em>, in 2016.<\/p>\n

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Co-stars David McCallum & Mark Harmon had a special relationship<\/h2>\n

McCallum once called\u00a0NCIS<\/em>\u00a0his \u201cRock of Gibraltar,\u201d mainly because of his working relationship with Mark Harmon. That feeling was, to say the least, mutual.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll always remember David McCallum,\u201d Harmon said in 2019. \u201cAnd I thought that from day one here, because I thought how fortunate this entire cast, whoever it is, is lucky enough to work with him and watch his work ethic every day. And take from his experience, what he\u2019s had in this industry, for a number of years, in different shows.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Spending hours on set every day must have been enjoyable. In fact, many people would say actors have the best job in the world, getting to travel the globe and shoot films and television series in exotic locations. But while on a show like\u00a0NCIS<\/em>, much of the shooting occurs in just one studio or at least one city.<\/p>\n

In Mark Harmon and David McCallum\u2019s case, being on such a show for so many years could probably begin to feel one-sided, even though they obviously loved working there. One day, you might be sitting in your trailer for hours just waiting for your scene, and the next day (just like in Mark and Pauley Perrette\u2019s case) you could easily get on each other\u2019s nerves.<\/p>\n

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But there are definitely ways of keeping the spirit up. And Harmon had one very clever way of doing it: Practical jokes.<\/p>\n

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For example, the\u00a0NCIS\u00a0<\/em>star once decided to hang a dead lizard he had found in co-star Cote De Pablo\u2019s trailer. One might think it\u2019s a bit creepy, but De Pablo said it was a sign that \u201csomeone out there loves me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Mark
Paul Archuleta\/FilmMagic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cSo, I came in one day, and this is a lizard that I guess he found outside. And it\u2019s a dead lizard which he put a noose around its neck,\u201d De Pablo once recalled.<\/p>\n

Why Mark Harmon never played practical jokes on David McCallum on \u2018NCIS\u2019 set<\/h2>\n

\u201cAnd then he hung a little note which is intended to be like a little \u2018goodbye I can\u2019t take it anymore\u2019 note. And it actually says, \u2018I couldn\u2019t take it anymore.\u2019 So, he hung this in my trailer, and when I came in, I was like, \u2018Ah!’\u201d<\/p>\n

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So what did Mark Harmon do to his beloved friend and co-star David McCallum? Well, it was pretty clear he didn\u2019t have the nerve to play any pranks on him\u2026<\/p>\n

In early 2016, David McCallum set up an AMA (Ask Me Anything) thread on the popular social media platform Reddit. Fans got the opportunity to ask him whatever question they liked. Many of them were, of course, about\u00a0NCIS<\/em>.<\/p>\n

For example, \u201cDucky\u201d revealed\u00a0t<\/a>he real reason why Cote de Pablo left the show<\/a>\u00a0but also touched on other subjects. One user apparently knew about the practical jokes and asked: \u201cHas Mark Harmon ever played a practical joke on you? Since I have heard he is a major jokester.\u201d<\/p>\n

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David McCallum answered: \u201cMark Harmon knows I am not the type to be toyed with.\u201d<\/p>\n

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On Monday, October 9, 2022, Harmon appeared in his last episode as Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He left the show after starring in 435 episodes \u2013 18 less than David McCallum.<\/p>\n

\"David
Shutterstock\/Kathy Hutchins<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There have been talks about Harmon\u2019s possible return to\u00a0NCIS<\/em>. However, sadly, that will be without David McCallum.<\/p>\n

Mark Harmon\u2019s powerful tribute to late David McCallum<\/h2>\n
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On September 26, he passed away at the New York Presbyterian Hospital at age 90.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was the kindest, coolest, most patient and loving father, he always put family before self. He looked forward to any chance to\u00a0connect with his grandchildren<\/strong><\/a>, and had a unique bond with each of them,\u201d his son, Peter McCallum, shared in a statement on behalf of the family.<\/p>\n

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Peter continued: \u201cHe and his youngest grandson, Whit, 9, could often be found in the corner of a room at family parties having deep philosophical conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cHe was a true renaissance man \u2014 he was fascinated by science and culture and would turn those passions into knowledge,\u201d Peter McCallum added. \u201cFor example, he was capable of conducting a symphony orchestra and (if needed) could actually perform an autopsy, based on his decades-long studies for his role on\u00a0NCIS<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

David McCallum died of natural causes, surrounded by his family. And it didn\u2019t take long before his former co-stars honored him.<\/p>\n

\u201cDavid lived a great, full, long life,\u201d Mark said in a statement. \u201cI was in awe when I first met him, and all of us on the show were honored to have toed a mark opposite him. My condolences go out to [David\u2019s wife] Katherine and his family.\u201d<\/p>\n

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If you enjoyed this article, perhaps you\u2019d be interested in reading why\u00a0David McCallum never came to terms with his son\u2019s death<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rest in peace, David McCallum. Please share this article on Facebook with friends and family to honor his legacy.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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