What was Dr. Donald Mallard like as a duckling? CBS’ NCIS this season will answer that question with an October episode that revisits the good doctor’s sprier days, to be lived out in flashback by Brit Adam Campbell (Mixology), TVLine has learned. RELATED Spoilers on NCIS Season 12’s Recurring Villain Via Ask Ausiello “When we saw Adam, all we could think of was a young David McCallum,” NCIS showrunner Gary Glasberg says of the casting. (Indeed! See Exhibits A and B.) “We can’t wait to introduce him as young Ducky and watch what he brings to this unusual role.” Thus far, this much is known about the episode: The flashbacks will shed light on Ducky’s past relationships as well as reveal… why he always wears bow ties. RELATED NCIS Alum Cote de Pablo to Star in Dovekeepers Miniseries The real-life husband of Glee alum/The Millers star Jayma Mays, Campbell’s other previous TV credits include Touch, 2 Broke Girls and Harper’s Island. NCIS premieres Season 12 on Tuesday, Sept. 23. Want more scoop on NCIS, or for any other show? Email and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line.
CBS celebrated the 400th episode of NCIS in style with the appearance of young versions of Ducky and Gibbs but just who plays the young characters? NCIS has been one of CBS’s most popular shows since it first arrived on our screens way back in September 2003. In those 17 years, the character of Donald “Ducky” Mallard and Leroy Jethro Gibbs have become household names and firm fan-favorites. However, in the show’s storied history, we’ve never known too much about how the characters first met but in season 18, episode 2 of NCIS that all changed. To celebrate the show’s 400th episode, fans were treated to seeing Ducky and Gibbs’ first-ever meeting but just who plays young Ducky and Gibbs? NCIS episode 400 recapEpisode 2 in NCIS’s 18th season, titled Everything Starts Somewhere, reunited Leroy Jethro Gibbs with a case that’s almost 40 years old. The case, the death of Maurice Zucado, is closely linked to the incident that saw Gibbs meet long-time friend and colleague, Donald “Ducky” Mallard. The episode cuts back between 1980 and the present, showing the duo’s friendship build in the past while they work to solve their latest case in the present. CBSWho plays young Gibbs?
Sean Harmon, who has appeared sporadically on NCIS as young Gibbs since 2008, is the perfect candidate to play a younger version of the character as he’s the son of Mark Harmon, the actor who plays old Gibbs. Like his father, Sean is an actor and making his debut on NCIS, has appeared in 15 acting roles since with appearances in the TV series Lauren, Major Crimes and even NCIS: Los Angeles. Who plays young Ducky?
Like Sean Harmon, Adam Campbell has appeared as a young Ducky several times on NCIS, with his most recent appearance coming in 2016 according to IMDb. Away from his NCIS role, Adam Campbell made his acting debut in 2004 in the TV series Commando Nanny and has since appeared in more than 30 acting roles. Adam Campbell’s most prominent TV appearances have come in the comedy Great News as well as Mixology and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Season 18 of NCIS continues on CBS with episode 3 on December 8th, 2020. In other news, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous season 5 ending explained
In honor of NCIS reaching its milestone 400th episode, the CBS procedural flashed back to the meeting of young Gibbs and Ducky in the Nov. 24, 2020 outing "Everything Starts Somewhere," much to the delight of fans. While the younger version of Gibbs is played by Sean Harmon, the son of the show's star, Mark Harmon, the actor who steps into young Ducky's shoes, Adam Campbell, is of no relation to David McCallum — despite how perfect he is in the role. However, he should be a familiar face to TV fans, and not just because the episode marked his fourth appearance on NCIS. Just one glance at Twitter will reveal how popular Harmon's son and Campbell are as the young versions of Gibbs and Ducky. Viewers are always delighted to see NCIS delving into the rich history of the team, and seeing how the special agent and the doctor first met, left them clamoring for a spinoff. One fan tweeted, "Ok so I want a spin-off with young Gibbs and Ducky just solving crimes or something, anything!" While another added, "Dear @CBS, after this week's @NCIS_CBS episode, please, please, please tell me you're considering a series starring Adam Campbell and Sean Harmon as young Ducky and Gibbs! It would be phenomenal!!!" Whether or not a spinoff actually happens, the chemistry between Campbell and Harmon is undeniable, thanks in no small part to the British actor's impeccable comedic timing. In fact, Campbell is best known for playing comedic characters, and if you want to check out his work beyond NCIS, then you should get ready for some serious laughs.
Before he slipped on Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard's lab coat for the first time, Campbell played Dr. Cal Vandeusen on CBS' one-season wonder, Harper's Island. The whodunit followed a group of family and friends during an ill-fated trip to an island for a destination wedding, where it's quickly established that there's a murderer in the guests' midst as they begin dying one by one. Campbell's Dr. Cal is a jealous boyfriend type, and he spends much of the series searching for his girlfriend after she disappears in the woods. The series marks one of the actor's earliest roles. It also happens to be one of the most dramatic projects he's done to date. Prior to Harper's Island, Campbell's biggest starring credits were in the big screen spoofs Date Movie and Epic Movie. Those two films definitely had an audience, but it's the CBS series that seems to have had the biggest impact on the actor's career. Despite Harper's Island only lasting one season, it established him as a reliable go-to TV star, and as a result he's worked steadily on television ever since.
After Harper's Island, Campbell went on to appear in guest spots on everything from Parenthood to 2 Broke Girls. Along the way, he also nabbed a leading role in ABC's quickly canceled comedy Mixology, and appeared as Mike in the Hello Ladies film. But his next most memorable role was as Kimmy's rich boyfriend Logan Beekman in the first season of Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. The character of Logan allowed Campbell to fully embrace his silly side, as he played Kimmy's wealthy and privileged suitor who had definitely never seen the inside of a public blimp. Ultimately, Logan turns out to be a terrible person who reports Dong to immigration simply because he also likes Kimmy, but the role was a big one for the actor, and it put him on Tina Fey's radar, which led to a starring role in her next NBC comedy.
In 2017, Campbell finally landed the leading man role he deserved in the Fey-produced comedy Great News, about an adult mother-daughter duo who work at a cable news channel. The British actor starred as Greg Walsh, the executive producer of The Breakdown, and the potential love interest of the show's leading lady Katie Wendelson (Briga Heelan). Even though Great News only lasted two seasons, it proved to be a terrific showcase for his talents. As Greg, Campbell got to play a character who was neurotic, wry, and often lovelorn. And thanks to the terrific comedy's inclusion in Netflix's library, it also allowed TV fans around the world a chance to see Campbell at the top of his game. Above all else, Great News demonstrated that the actor is leading man material, so if CBS ever decides to actually make an NCIS prequel happen, the show would be in good hands with Campbell starring as the young Ducky. |