Actor and musician David McCallum has died on the age of 90 from pure causes.

The Scottish-born star died this morning surrounded by his household at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

McCallum is survived by his spouse of 56 years, Katherine McCallum, his sons Paul McCallum, Valentine McCallum and Peter McCallum, his daughter Sophie McCallum and his eight grandchildren.

His household described him because the “kindest, coolest, most patient and loving father”.

In a press release on behalf of the household, his son Peter mentioned: “He at all times put household earlier than self. He seemed ahead to any probability to attach together with his grandchildren and had a novel bond with every of them.

“He and his youngest grandson, Whit, could often be found in the corner of a room at family parties having deep philosophical conversations.”

The Man From U.N.C.L.E, The Great Escape, and NCIS actor was referred to as a “true renaissance man… fascinated by science and culture and would turn those passions into knowledge”.

Peter mentioned his father was able to “conducting a symphony orchestra and (if needed) could actually perform an autopsy, based on his decades-long studies for his role on NCIS”.

After returning house from the hospital, Peter requested his mom Katherine, 79, how she was feeling earlier than she went to sleep, to which she mentioned: “I do wish we had had a chance to grow old together.”

Peter added: “The honesty in that emotion shows how vibrant their beautiful relationship and daily lives were, and that somehow, even at 90, Daddy never grew old.”

McCallum married actress and mannequin Katherine Carpenter in 1967, having beforehand been married to singer Jill Ireland.

Born in Glasgow in 1933, McCallum hailed from a musically gifted household, together with his father David McCallum, Sr. a well-known violinist and mom Dorothy Dorman a cellist.

However, McCallum would pursue appearing after an area efficiency of Shakespeare’s King John was properly obtained.

His thespian profession grew as he featured in quite a few theatre productions together with The Lion in Winter and Julius Caesar.

His huge break would observe a transfer to America the place he was solid within the position of undercover agent Illya Kuryakin within the TV sequence The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Despite initially having solely a few traces within the present, McCallum was noticed by the producers and boosted as co-star of the spy sequence alongside Robert Vaughn.

He obtained two Emmy Award nominations throughout the present’s run and in addition starred in basic conflict movies The Great Escape and Mosquito Squadron.

His portfolio grew on the small display screen too, starring as a scientist within the 1975 sci-fi present The Invisible Man, and later as Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard in NCIS for 20 years.

McCallum’s voice was additionally synonymous with Cartoon Network’s sequence Ben 10.

A scholar and a gentleman

NCIS producers Steven Binder and David North paid tribute to the actor saying: “For over twenty years, David McCallum endeared himself to audiences around the world playing the wise, quirky, and sometimes enigmatic, Dr Donald “Ducky” Mallard.

“But as a lot as his followers could have liked him, those that labored facet by facet with David liked him that rather more.

“He was a scholar and a gentleman, always gracious, a consummate professional, and never one to pass up a joke. From day one, it was an honour to work with him and he never let us down.

“He was, fairly merely, a legend. He was additionally household and might be deeply missed.”