Was NCIS Actor David McCallum ‘Frustrated and Angry’ at Cote de Pablo’s Departure?

David McCallum, known for his role as Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard on NCIS, expressed his “frustration and anger” regarding Cote de Pablo’s decision to leave the show during the 11th season. McCallum was taken by surprise when the actress, who portrayed Ziva David, departed the series.

He couldn’t comprehend why a lead actress in an international show with aspirations in acting would leave abruptly, just days before production was set to begin. De Pablo’s unexpected exit necessitated extensive rewrites of the first five episodes of season 11 by the NCIS writers.

Despite the challenges, McCallum acknowledged that the show’s team managed to pull off the changes. De Pablo herself had previously mentioned that leaving NCIS was a difficult decision not taken lightly.