LOS ANGELES (AP) — Actor David McCallum, who became a teenage heartthrob on the 1960s hit series “The Man From UNCLE” and 40 years later as the eccentric medical examiner on the popular “NCIS,” has died. He was 90.
McCallum died Monday of natural causes surrounded by his family at New York Presbyterian Hospital, CBS said in a statement.
“David was a gifted actor and writer and was loved by many around the world. He lived an incredible life and his legacy will live on forever through his family and the countless hours of film and television that will never fade,” CBS said in a statement.
Scottish-born McCallum achieved success with his appearances in the films “A Night to Remember” (about the Titanic), “The Great Escape” and “The Greatest Story Ever Told” (as Judas). But it was “The Man From UNCLE” that made the blonde actor with the Beatlesque haircut a household name in the mid-’60s.
The success of the James Bond books and films had set off a chain reaction in which secret agents became increasingly popular on screens both big and small. According to Jon Heitland’s The Man From UNCLE Book, Bond creator Ian Fleming actually brought some ideas to the table when The Man From UNCLE was being developed.