David McCallum is a Scottish actor, musician, and author born on September 19, 1933, in Glasgow, Scotland. His mother, Dorothy, played the cello, and his father, David Sr., played orchestral violin for the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
David’s early exposure to music and his parent’s profession could have signaled his eventual entry into their line of work. Still, it was acting that piqued his curiosity, and he discovered his true passion in that calling.
As a young child, David began playing the oboe, and his father picked his career for him, stating that he would become a professional musician. However, David’s interest in acting grew stronger after he played The Little Prince in Shakespeare’s King John, at a local event where people performed skits and songs.
David acted the part so well that he received a standing ovation, and from then on, he knew that he wanted to be on stage with the lights, makeup, and the people.
After studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London, England, David left for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he received formal acting training.
In 1946, he joined Actors’ Equity and began working for BBC Radio. Several years later, he worked in repertory theater, starring in productions such as Julius Caesar and Amadeus. In 1961, he decided to move to America, where he landed his first significant television role.
David McCallum was cast as Illya Kuryakin in the television hit show The Man From U.N.C.L.E, and success came quickly. He was nominated for two Emmy Awards for his performance, and the show became a huge hit, running for four years and a total of 105 episodes. Over the years, the show had many big celebrities appearing as guest stars, including Joan Collins, Kurt Russell, Sonny and Cher, and Joan Crawford.
For David, meeting these big stars was always a special bonus. He revealed in a 2010 interview that he was starstruck every time. He grew up going to the local Odeon, where they sat in the two and sixpence upstairs if his father went; otherwise, it was the one and three downstairs. David watched all these wonderful old black-and-white movies, and then he went to Hollywood to test for The Greatest Story Ever Told, with George Stevens. There, he met Pat Boone, Roddy McDowall, and John Wayne. Suddenly he was in among them all, and that little boy that went to the Odeon never left him, so it’s constantly fascinating.
By the time The Man From U.N.C.L.E. reached the pinnacle of its success, David McCallum had turned into a major star in his own right. According to an interview with Press & Journal, he received more fan mail than anyone else in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s history, including superstars such as Elvis Presley. Once, he even visited the White House, and while being escorted to meet the President, a Secret Service agent told him, “You’re the reason I got this job.”
David’s popularity wasn’t limited to fan mail; a vast number of fans were desperate to meet him in the street. Things got so crazy that he even had to be rescued on one occasion. “I was rescued from Central Park by mounted police on one occasion,” he recalled. “When I went to Macy’s department store, the fans caused $25,000 worth of damage, and they had to close Herald Square to get me out of there.” He dealt with the attention with a sense of humor, adding, “And then whoever was next came along, and you get dropped overnight, which is a relief.”
