Ducky’s back! Actor Adam Campbell returns to the NCIS universe for the fifth time as the younger version of the beloved medical examiner, who was portrayed on the mothership series by the late David McCallum. The October 29 NCIS: Origins episode pays tribute to McCallum, who rose to fame as a spy in the 1960s TV classic, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and features his frequently sampled 1967 composition, “The Edge.” (Just one instance of its use is in the intro to Dr. Dre‘s 1999 gangsta rap classic, “The Next Episode.”)
“It is a central theme of the episode, and it’s such a cool piece of music for Ducky to walk around with,” Campbell shares. “During the table read, the song was played at the moments when it was supposed to come in, according to the script.”
The original version of the tune “heralds the entrance,” as Campbell puts it, of the now middle-aged Ducky. He comes from DC to Camp Pendleton to investigate whether NIS needs an in-house medical examiner. He shadows the team while they work a case involving a frozen body, and we get to learn “how he develops his unique style of autopsies.”
Ducky is excited to see Gibbs (Austin Stowell) 12 years after their life-changing encounter in DC (shown in a 2020 NCIS flashback). Gibbs’ advice put Ducky on his career path. In turn, the future medical examiner encouraged the younger man to get married. “He remembers that conversation fondly and comes bearing a special gift for Gibbs,” says Campbell who confirms that his character at that point does not know the tragic fate of Gibbs’ wife and daughter. “The question is whether Gibbs remembers that conversation as fondly. The episode looks into that a little bit.”
Greg Gayne/CBS
Not everyone welcomes the DC visitor. “There’s panic that he’s going to shake things up, people are going to lose their jobs, or there’s going to be reshuffling. Franks [Kyle Schmid] particularly is not thrilled,” Campbell reveals.
For the actor, doing an episode that paid tribute to McCallum was an honor. Campbell relates that when he was first cast as Young Ducky for a 2014 episode, “David phoned me straight away, which was extremely classy. He said, ‘Come up to the studios tomorrow. Let’s have lunch.’ We sat for a couple of hours talking about everything: politics, raising kids in LA, being Brits in America. He showed me around and introduced me.”
McCallum gave the younger actor his blessing to go with his instincts in portraying Ducky. The men agreed that Campbell shouldn’t try to do an impression of the existing character but capture his essence. “He kept coming back to Ducky being ‘a calmness in the mayhem,’” Campbell says. “He also said not to be afraid to find the comedy in Ducky. His mind will twist even a grotesque or vulgar situation into something amusing and lighthearted. Not that he’s making light of this sadness, but that’s one way that he approaches some of these cases.”
For Campbell, it was meaningful returning to the NCIS set “and shooting scenes in that room where David was for many hours, wearing the hats that David wore. I felt the magnitude, coupled with the fact that Mark Harmon wrote me the loveliest message at the beginning of the episode, to say how much it would mean to David that I was doing this.”
Ducky, of course, ends up charming the NIS team with his avuncular style. “With him, people let their guard down and open up,” Campbell says. “He has quality time with at least three of the team. He’s a healing balm to their situations, including Franks.”
The most touching moment though is between the two men who have both lived so much in the dozen years since their chance encounter. Campbell shares, “They go from being familiar with each other to actually by the end of the episode, having a very, very deep connection. Part of that is to do with what Gibbs shares with Ducky.”
As to whether Ducky will stop by again, Campbell tells us, “I would obviously love to come back, but there’s nothing in the works at the moment.” For a fan-favorite like this, someone at NCIS: Origins must be on the case.
