‘NCIS: Origins’: Adam Campbell to Reprise Role as Young Ducky in David McCallum Tribute in Season 2

Just like NCIS did in Season 21, the prequel Origins will be paying tribute to the late David McCallum, who played Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard on the mothership and died in 2023.

Adam Campbell will reprise his role as young Ducky in NCIS: Origins‘ tribute episode airing this fall. In the episode, “The Edge,” CBS reveals, “Ducky is sent to Camp Pendleton to shadow the team while they work a case and, in the process, he reconnects with Gibbs [Austin Stowell] after the two crossed paths years earlier.” An exact air date and episode number have yet to be revealed. The title of the episode comes from the iconic song by McCallum, and it will be featured in it.

“We wanted to do this episode to honor the memory of our dear friend David McCallum. He was a beloved member of the NCIS family for so many years and we’re incredibly lucky to have the talented Adam Campbell back to bring the younger version of this iconic character to life once again,” co-showrunners and executive producers Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North said in a statement. “We even got to feature David’s music in the episode. We’re all very excited and can’t wait for the fans to see it!”

Campbell played young Ducky in four episodes of NCIS, with his last appearance coming in Season 18’s “Everything Starts Somewhere” (the show’s 400th episode). It was in that episode that flashbacks revealed how Gibbs (then played by Sean Harmon, Mark Harmon‘s son) and Ducky (Campbell) met, in 1980.

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Following the Season 1 finale, North told TV Insider that the producers were open to bringing in younger versions of characters we know from the franchise. “We’re always open to that. We know how exciting that is for the fans and Gina and I as NCIS fans ourselves, it’s exciting for us. So we’re always looking at that and it’s definitely possible. People can stop writing me and asking for Jenny Shepard. I’m aware that she’s out there, and Gina. I know the young Fornell [Lucas Dixon] and that actor was incredible, so we have a lot of fun with that as well. So we’re looking forward to seeing what we come up with.”

NCIS: Origins follows Gibbs in the early ’90s, as he’s just joined NIS. Now, in Season 2, as Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid) continues to lead the team, Gibbs is still early in his career as a special agent. The premiere will reveal Lala’s (Mariel Molino) fate after last finale’s car crash. “Facing new threats, higher stakes and defining moments that shape their professional and personal lives, one fact is certain: This team always has each other’s backs,” CBS’s description teases.

NCIS: Origins is produced by CBS Studios. Gina Lucita Monreal, David J. North, Mark Harmon, and Sean Harmon are executive producers.

What are you hoping to see with young Ducky alongside this Gibbs? Let us know in the comments section below.

NCIS: Origins, Season 2 Premiere, Tuesday, October 14, 9/8c, CBS