Actress Maria Bello (NCIS) has passed away at the age of 59 hue01

Adam Campbell received advice from a legend.

The actor, 45, recalled chatting with David McCallum after joining the cast of NCIS in 2014 as a young Donald “Ducky” Mallard during an episode of the NCIS: Partners & Probies podcast that was released on June 9.

McCallum, who died at 90 in 2023, played the beloved medical examiner on the television series for 20 seasons.

When Campbell was cast as a younger version of his character, he admitted that he was “a little bit scared because I knew how precious the character was.”

“I was aware that I would be under scrutiny. So I was a little daunted, to say the least,” he said.

However, Campbell felt reassured after a productive meeting with McCallum. “When I got it, a couple of days later, David phoned me. I don’t know how he got my number, but he just phoned me and said, ‘I hear you’re playing the younger version of me. Let’s have lunch.’ So he invited me up to the stages and we had lunch together,” he said.

“I felt brilliant after that,” the actor continued, adding, “I didn’t know how he would react to me and he couldn’t have been nicer.”

During the meal, Campbell said they talked about the character, and the late Scottish actor gave him a key piece of advice.

“One thing he said was, ‘Don’t try to do an impression of me.’ Which was really helpful because I was going to do an impression of him,” he admitted.

The two also spoke about Ducky’s “non-negotiables.”

“David said to me, ‘Ducky does like to find the humor in things. Don’t be afraid to find an odd, quirky take on a situation.’ Which I found quite helpful. And we talked about his kindness as a person. He’s not motivated by selfishness or personal gain,” Campbell said.

“These are all things that come out as you watch him play it. But it was great to have him assert that to me,” he added of his conversation with McCallum.

Campbell first appeared in NCIS in season 12, which started airing in 2014. He has since reprised the role in several seasons and in the spin-off series, NCIS: Origins.

NCIS premiered in 2003 on CBS. The show finished airing its latest season, season 23, in 2026. It has been renewed for a 24th season.

Mark Harmon, Sasha Alexander, Michael Weatherly and Pauley Perrette were in the original cast along with McCallum.