Brian Dietzen, known for his role as Jimmy Palmer in NCIS, recently shared heartfelt sentiments about his final conversation with co-star David McCallum, who portrayed Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard in the series. McCallum passed away at the age of 90 in September.
Dietzen reflected on the meaningful exchange he had with McCallum just days before his passing, recalling how he had the opportunity to speak with him on his birthday. He mentioned that McCallum was already in the hospital and facing health challenges at the time of their conversation.
Despite McCallum’s health struggles, Dietzen expressed gratitude for being able to connect with him during that crucial period. While he chose to keep the details of their conversation private, he emphasized the significance of expressing his feelings to McCallum during their final chat.
In a touching tribute to McCallum, NCIS aired an episode titled ‘The Stories We Leave Behind’, which saw the team mourning Ducky while working on one of his unfinished cases. Dietzen had a special role in this tribute, as he co-wrote the episode with Scott Williams.
Dietzen shared that Williams, his co-writer, proposed the idea of collaborating on the episode in honor of McCallum, and the rest of the team unanimously agreed. He expressed his honor and appreciation for being entrusted with this task, highlighting the deep respect and admiration he held for McCallum and his contributions to the show.
