Entertainment

David McCallum, Star Of Hit TV Series ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ And ‘NCIS,’ Dies At 90

Published

12 months ago

2023-09-26

LOS ANGELES — David McCallum, an adolescent heartthrob in the 1960s series “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” and the eccentric medical examiner in the popular series “NCIS” four decades later, has passed away. He was 90 years old.

CBS said that McCallum died of natural causes surrounded by family at New York Presbyterian Hospital on Monday.

“David was a talented actor and author who many people across the globe adored. CBS said, “He led an extraordinary life, and his legacy will live on through his family and the countless hours of film and television that will never disappear.”

McCallum, who was born in Scotland, had been successful in films such as “A Night to Remember” (about the Titanic), “The Great Escape,” and “The Greatest Story Ever Told” (as Judas). In the mid-1960s, “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” made the blond actor with the Beatles-inspired haircut a ubiquitous name.

The popularity of the James Bond novels and films spawned a proliferation of secret operatives on both large and small screens. According to Jon Heitland’s “The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Book,” Bond originator Ian Fleming contributed to developing “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.”

CBS said that McCallum died of natural causes surrounded by family at New York Presbyterian Hospital on Monday.

Robert Vaughn portrayed Napoleon Solo, an agent in a covert, high-tech squad of crime fighters whose initials stood for United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. The program debuted in 1964. Despite the Cold War, the agency had international personnel, including McCallum as Solo’s Russian sidekick, Illya Kuryakin.

McCallum recalled that the role was initially relatively minor, adding in a 1998 interview, “I’d never heard of the word’sidekick’ before.”

The show received mixed reviews but eventually gained popularity, especially among teenage females drawn to McCallum’s good looks and enigmatic, intelligent character. By 1965, Illya was Vaughn’s primary partner, and both stars were mobbed during personal appearances.

The series ran until 1968. In 1983, Vaughn and McCallum reunited for the nostalgic television film “The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” in which the agents were coaxed out of retirement to save the world again.

McCallum returned to television in 2003 with another series featuring an agency with initials: CBS’s “NCIS.” He portrayed Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard, a nerdy pathologist for the Naval Criminal Investigation Service, which investigates offenses involving the Navy or Marines. Mark Harmon portrayed the leader of NCIS.

McCallum stated that he believed Ducky, who wore glasses and a bow tie and had an eye for beautiful women, “looked a little silly, but it was great fun to do.” He also took the position seriously, spending time in the coroner’s office in Los Angeles to learn how autopsies are conducted.

David McCallum, an adolescent heartthrob in the 1960s series “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” and the eccentric medical examiner in the popular series “NCIS”

Co-star Lauren Holly lamented his passing on X, formerly Twitter: “You were the kindest man. “We appreciate your being you.” The 20th-anniversary marathon of “NCIS” on Monday night will now include an “in memoriam” card in memory of McCallum.

Gradually gaining an audience, the show eventually made the list of top 10 programs. McCallum, who resided in New York, rented a one-bedroom flat in Santa Monica while “NCIS” was filmed.

“He was a scholar and a gentleman who was always gracious, a consummate professional, and never one to turn down a jest. Working with him from day one was a privilege; he never let us down. According to a statement from “NCIS” Executive Producers Steven D. Binder and David North, he was merely a legend.

McCallum’s work on “U.N.C.L.E.” earned him two Emmy nominations, and he received a third nomination for his role as an educator battling alcoholism in the 1969 Hallmark Hall of Fame film “Teacher, Teacher.”

In 1975, he portrayed the title character in a short-lived science fiction series titled “The Invisible Man,” from 1979 to 1982, he portrayed Steel in the British science fiction series “Sapphire and Steel.” Over the years, he has also made guest appearances on numerous television programs, including “Murder, She Wrote” and “Sex and the City.”

He appeared on Broadway in the 1968 comedy “The Flip Side” and in the 1999 revival of “Amadeus” starring Michael Sheen and David Suchet. Additionally, he acted in several off-Broadway productions.

McCallum was a longtime American citizen, telling The Associated Press in 2003, “I have always admired the freedom this country stands for and everything it stands for. And I reside here and enjoy voting here.”

In 1933, David Keith McCallum was born in Glasgow. His father played the violin, and his mother, David, played the cello. When David was 3 years old, the family migrated to London, where David Sr. played with the London Philharmonic and Royal Philharmonic.

David McCallum, an adolescent heartthrob in the 1960s series “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” and the eccentric medical examiner in the popular series “NCIS”

The young David studied the oboe at the Royal Academy of Music. He determined he wasn’t good enough, so he studied briefly at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before turning to theatre. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2009, he stated, “I was a small, emaciated blonde with a sunken chest, so there weren’t a whole lot of roles for me.”

After completing his military service, he returned to London and began working in live television and film. In 1957, he appeared in “Robbery Under Arms” alongside Jill Ireland, an emerging Australian actress. The couple tied the knot in the same year.

McCallum was a member of the large ensemble of “The Great Escape” in 1963, and he and his wife became friends with Charles Bronson, who also appeared in the film. Ireland fell in love with Bronson, and she and McCallum divorced in 1967 after their separation. In 1968, she married Bronson.

McCallum stated in 2009, “Everything turned out well because shortly after that I met Katherine Carpenter, a former model, and we’ve been married for 42 years.”

Paul, Jason, and Valentine were McCallum’s three sons from his first marriage, and Peter and Sophie were his son and daughter from his second. Jason overdosed and perished.

“He was a genuine Renaissance man — he was fascinated by science and culture and would turn those passions into knowledge. As an example, according to a statement released by Peter McCallum, he was able to conduct a symphony orchestra and (if necessary) could execute an autopsy based on his decades-long preparation for his role on NCIS.

In 2007, while working on “NCIS,” McCallum told a reporter, “I’ve always felt that the harder I work, the more fortunate I become. I believe in serendipity, but I also believe that dedicating yourself to what you do is the greatest way to succeed in this life.”

SOURCE – (AP)

Entertainment

Tim Burton’s ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ a Box Office Success Gets 4.5 Stars

Published

8 hours ago

2024-09-07

Geoff Thomas

Beetlejuice is 41% ahead of the norm for the action comedy sci-fi genre - Netflix Image

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice preview reportedly made $13 million for Warner Bros. Fans gave it 4.5 stars on Comscore/Screen Engine’s PostTrak, while both parents and children under the age of 12 gave it 5 stars.

The sequel has a current budget of $90 million, with room to grow.

The sequel starring Michael Keaton, Jenna Ortega, and Winona Ryder had 59% female attendees, with 73% of those attendees being 25 and older. In terms of gender, 62% of the children were girls and 38% were boys. Last night, the Latino and Hispanic community had an impressive showing at 36% of the total audience.

According to Yahoo Entertainment, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice social media reach With 508.6 million followers across TikTok, Facebook, X, YouTube, and Instagram combined, Beetlejuice is 41% ahead of the norm for the action comedy sci-fi genre.

“Jenna Ortega has stunned her 38.2 million Instagram followers with 103.1 million views, while Michael Keaton has 1.58 million and Willem Dafoe has 155 thousand,” the social media analytics company adds.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice a Remarkable Sequel

Additionally, they mention, “Convo for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice A remarkable feat for a sequel, Beetlejuice has received mostly good reviews from audiences who have praised the film for its originality and sense of purpose. ‘At first, I thought this was another Scream movie, then I thought it was the Wednesday Season 2!’ A number of fans, including new viewers, are ecstatic to see Jenna Ortega in a horror film.

According to fans of the 1988 original, “My inner child from the 80’s is screaming!” when asked about the style of Jenna Ortega’s flicks. I’m more pumped up for this movie than any other! “I admire the practical effects and the attempts to make it look like the old movie!!” is one commenter’s praise for the show’s expert production values and impressive use of special effects.

You can count on seeing a plethora of costumed fans at the movies this weekend.

A large number of collectible concessions are also available. Beetlejuice jack-in-the-box popcorn buckets are available at Cinemark, competing with Sandworm and Wolverine

For Nicolas Cage, Making A Serial Killer Horror Movie Was A Healing Experience

For Nicolas Cage, Making A Serial Killer Horror Movie Was A Healing Experience

Entertainment

Trump film ‘The Apprentice’ finds distributor and will open before the election

Published

7 days ago

2024-08-31

Kiara Grace

NEW YORK — Trump Film | After failing to generate interest following its Cannes Film Festival screening, “The Apprentice,” starring Sebastian Stan as a teenage Donald Trump, has found a distributor who intends to release the film right before the election in November.

Briarcliff Entertainment will release “The Apprentice” in theatres across the United States and Canada on October 11, just weeks before the November 5 election.

Director Ali Abbasi, a Danish-Iranian filmmaker, had prioritized releasing “The Apprentice” in theatres before electors voted. After major studios and film distributors declined to bid on the project, Abbasi complained on X in early June that “for some reason certain power people in your country don’t want you to see it!!!”

Trump film ‘The Apprentice’ finds distributor and will open before the election

In a statement issued Friday, Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign’s communications director, described the film’s release as “election interference by Hollywood elites right before November.”

“This ‘film’ is pure malicious defamation, should never see the light of day, and doesn’t even deserve a place in the straight-to-DVD section of a bargain bin at a soon-to-be-closed discount movie store, it belongs in a skip fire,” Cheung tweeted.

The prospect of legal action was one factor that decreased interest in “The Apprentice”. After the film’s Cannes premiere in May, Cheung labeled it “pure fiction” and stated that the Trump team would pursue a lawsuit “to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers.”

“The Apprentice” follows Trump’s rise to dominance in New York real estate, guided by defense attorney Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong). Late in the film, Trump is seen raping his wife, Ivana Trump (portrayed by Maria Bakalova). In her 1990 divorce deposition, Ivana Trump alleged Donald Trump raped her. Trump rejected the claim, and Ivana Trump later clarified that she did not mean it literally but rather that she felt violated.

Abbasi has stated that Trump might not despise the film.

Trump film ‘The Apprentice’ finds distributor and will open before the election

“I would offer to go and meet him wherever he wants and talk about the context of the movie, have a screening and have a chat afterwards, if that’s interesting to anyone at the Trump campaign,” Abbasi stated during the May election.

Briarcliff Entertainment has published several films, including the 2022 documentary “Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down” and the Liam Neeson thriller “Memory.” The indie distributor is led by Tom Ortenberg, who helped Lionsgate distribute Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11” and, as CEO of Open Road, supported the best picture Oscar winner “Spotlight.”

SOURCE | AP

Entertainment

Hanumankind: The Indian Rapper Who Overtook Kendrick Lamar on Global Music Charts

Published

1 week ago

2024-08-31

Salman Ahmad

In a remarkably short span, Indian rapper Hanumankind has made a significant mark on the country’s emerging hip-hop scene.

His track “Big Dawgs” has not only topped global charts but also briefly overshadowed Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us.” The BBC delves into the extraordinary ascent of Hanumankind, whose real name is Sooraj Cherukat.

At 31, Cherukat, also known as Hanumankind, radiates an electrifying presence in the “Big Dawgs” music video.

Filmed in a maut ka kuan—a dramatic performance space where drivers execute gravity-defying stunts inside a colossal wooden barrel—Cherukat commands the scene with an intense energy, surrounded by daring drivers zipping past him.

The track, a collaboration with producer Kalmi Reddy and director Bijoy Shetty, has amassed over 132 million streams on Spotify and 83 million views on YouTube since its release in July, propelling Cherukat to international fame.

On the surface, Cherukat’s music follows the hip-hop tradition of portraying gritty street narratives through raw, explicit lyrics. However, a deeper look reveals a rapper navigating his multifaceted identity through his art.

The Roots of Hanumankind’s Sound

Born in Kerala, Cherukat’s childhood was a global journey due to his father’s work with a major oil company, leading him to live in France, Nigeria, Egypt, and Dubai. His formative years in Houston, Texas, were crucial in shaping his musical career.

Houston’s hip-hop scene is unique, known for its distinctive “screwed-up” remix style influenced by the local use of cough syrup. Cherukat has often cited Texas hip-hop legends like DJ Screw, UGK, Big Bunny, and Project Pat as major influences.

Although his style reflects this heritage, it has evolved since his return to India in 2021 after dropping out of college.

Having earned a business degree and worked with firms like Goldman Sachs, Cherukat left the corporate world to pursue rap full-time, a passion he had previously juggled alongside other commitments.

Cherukat’s music reflects his attempt to reconcile his cosmopolitan experiences with his Indian roots. His tracks often highlight the struggles of southern Indian street life, combining intense vocal delivery with engaging rhythms.

His song “Genghis,” filmed in Bengaluru, critiques national issues through a gritty lens.

Challenging Rap Norms and Navigating Criticism: Hanumankind’s Unique Path

In “Big Dawgs,” Cherukat diverges from the typical rap glorification of wealth, focusing instead on small-town stunt performers from impoverished backgrounds. “These are the people that are the real risk-takers…Those are the big dogs, for real,” he told Complex.

Despite his innovative approach, Cherukat faces criticism. Some argue that his English lyrics may limit his appeal to non-English-speaking Indian audiences and that his style too closely mirrors Western artists.

Abid Haque, a PhD student, believes that while Cherukat’s inclusion of South Asians in the Western rap scene is notable, his music sometimes feels disconnected from Indian reality.

Cherukat himself navigates this duality. He views his return to India as a way to explore his sense of belonging. “I think it really moulded me as someone who never really had a place to call home… and that kind of shaped the way I perceive music, people, and culture,” he explained.

Yet, he also embraces a broader perspective: “I’m not an Indian rapper, but I’m a rapper from India,” indicating his position outside the traditional Indian hip-hop scene.

Hanumankind’s unique style has attracted both admiration and criticism, often encountering resistance from listeners who struggle to categorize him. His distinct approach and refusal to conform to expectations have, however, resonated with many fans.

“He isn’t trying to cater to an Indian audience, which shows in his music, and he is unapologetic about it,” said Arnab Ghosh, a Delhi-based psychiatrist.

Cherukat’s journey, marked by his adaptability and dedication to authenticity, represents both a triumph and a challenge. As he continues to break boundaries and redefine expectations, Hanumankind remains a compelling figure in the global hip-hop landscape.

“You keep certain things as your roots, but it’s up to you to adapt to the environment and go with the flow, as long as you don’t compromise on integrity,” he once said, capturing the essence of his remarkable career.

Source: BBC