David McCallum may be best known for “The Great Escape” or “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” depending on who you ask. Of course, he’s had a lot of success in recent years, thanks to “NCIS.” There’s also his musical career and his literary work. Whatever the case, his talent is undeniable, and his career in the industry is highly regarded.
McCallum was born in Glasgow and raised in a creative family. Classical music was very important in his family because his mother played the cello and his father was a conductor. “Father was unique in that his hands were really the center of his life, and keeping his hands safe and in perfect condition was paramount,” he told The Scotsman. “He would practice his violin incessantly, so we had the sound of music throughout the house all the time.”
McCallum built a memorable career with unforgettable roles, beginning on the other side of the pond and then moving to America. He’s done it all, from voice acting to the Army to drama school to writing a book.
During World War II, he grew up.
David McCallum’s family moved from Scotland to England when he was a child because his father had accepted a position with the London Philharmonic. During World War II, however, things changed dramatically. As he explained to The Scotsman, “I was evacuated at the end of 1939 or the beginning of 1940. I always assumed it was with one of those little brown boxes containing a gas mask, a piece of string, and a label tied to my coat, but it was more likely that my mother picked me up in a more civilised manner.” In a separate interview with the Daily Mail, he revealed that his family returned to Scotland after being evacuated. After a few years, the family returned to London.
Unsurprisingly, living through a war had an impact on McCallum. He stated in an interview with the Television Academy Foundation, “Before [bombs] exploded, I used to dive into my mother’s bed. My father used to sit in the window and watch the bombs fall.” He also recalled going to school one day after an explosive had blown out all of the windows in the building and hiding behind a wall from a V1 missile.
He attended University College School.
David McCallum did not always intend to pursue a career as an actor. Given his parents’ love of classical music, it seemed natural for him to follow in their footsteps. “At home, music was omnipresent,” he once told the Daily Mail, “and my parents both assumed at first that I would follow them into the family business.” His father hoped he’d grow up to be a professional oboist, so he started taking oboe lessons when he was in elementary school.
He was even asked to fill in for his mother during a performance once, but as he explained to the Daily Telegraph Weekend Magazine (via David McCallum Fans Online), he had his sheets mixed up and ended up playing the wrong thing at the wrong time. “Years later,” he said, “my mother told me she felt she’d really let me down.” “I told her she’d taught me the most important lesson of my career: never appear in public unless you know exactly what you’re doing.”
McCallum began attending the University College School in Hampstead at the age of ten. “I was in the school orchestra and did the occasional recital,” he told the Daily Mail. “However, I was also involved in amateur drama.” He left the academic institution when he was 16, he told Stay Thirsty Magazine, because he was ready for the next chapter. That chapter, however, was not entirely about music.
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