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Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard

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Donald "Ducky" Mallard is played by David McCallum

Occupation/Title: Chief Medical Examiner

Personality type:

Signature look: dapper, with a large collection of bow ties.

Endearing trait(s): Gentlemanly, grandad figure, always pleasant

Annoying trait(s): Tends to digress easily

Links:
Blog Entry: Ducky and Jordan - A Good Match?

Ducky's Song

Talk about Ducky!

CHARACTER CONNECTIONS

Family members:

Known to have at least one sibling who has had children. Sex of sibling unknown at this stage. In Episode 1.02 - Hung out to Dry - Ducky is heard to comment to Tony "The last time I was up this high was to hang a pinata at my nephew's birthday."
Aged mother, Vanessa/Victoria Mallard. (two different names are given in subtitles)
Great Uncle William, who used to apologise for sitting naked at the dinner table, when he wasn't. (Season 2, Call of Silence)
Aunt Gertrude, who did sit naked at the dinner table. (Season 2, Call of Silence)

Romance(s): Dr Jordan Hampton

Friends:

He and Gibbs are close pals. He has a story about everything, and he's not afraid to tell them. Even when he's carving into a body.

Enemies:

Character Backstory:

Season 1: His parents divorced, in an era when that would have been unacceptable. Ducky served in the British military, and saw service in Vietnam (although that might have been with a different military flag as the Brits were not a big part of that war). His education was at Eton (rich, posh) and Edinburgh (famed for medicine, a very old school). He has a network of friends around the USA and the world in coroners and medical examiners. He likes ballet such as Giselle and operas such as La Forza del Destino (The Force of Destiny), history and psychology. He regrets not having children and is unwaveringly dutiful to his mother's care. His mother was 95 two seasons ago at least. He aspired to academia but then thought that it would be awful to be droning on all day telling stories. He is fit and nimble, able to get to a body no matter how inconveniently located and is a have-a-go hero when dealing with recalcitrant youth. He still has an eye for the ladies. Was held as a hostage in his own autopsy room by Ari. He exhibited a great desire to kill Ari, even then. (I want that terrorist on my slab, Jethro.) His assistant, Gerald, wears earphones whilst working so that he doesn't have to listen to the stories. Ducky is afraid that he bores people: to which Kate, Tony and Gibbs give a resounding, untruthful "no". He lacks self-awareness.
Season 2: We learn that Ducky has only had one Jane Doe, and he kept her ashes for 10 years in hope of finding out who she was. Still lives with his 96 year old mother. Studied medicine in Scotland at same university as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Edinburgh University medical school. He attended Eton, a boys school where the uniform is the type of suit that men usually only wear to weddings (morning coats with tails, waistcoats, wing collars with bow ties). It is for the seriously rich and many aristocrats send their sons there. Ducky played cricket (although he was 12th man (the reserve batsman)). Ducky drinks tea, made properly with loose leaves in a teapot. He maintains traditions. He likes bow ties (old Etonian).
Season 3: Ducky refuses to let anyone else do Kate's autopsy and he is mindful of her modesty by keeping her covered. He mourns the fact that she didn't kill Ari when she had the chance. Ducky becomes worried by Gibbs' obsession over Ari. Ducky keeps an eye on Gibbs' mental health. Ducky studies for a master's degree in forensic psychology so that he can opine on the mental condition of killers and victims. Palmer helps him study for the exams. Palmer proves to be an excellent apprentice to Ducky, being serious about his scientific and medical studies and happy to listen to Ducky's stories, finding in them a rich vein of knowledge instead of a shortcut to boredom. Palmer is intelligent enough to get the point of the stories and the knowledge, but doesn't understand why Ducky is compelled to tell the stories even when his audience has gone.
Season 4: Ducky is angry over Gibbs' departure and frosty on his return. It is a side of his character that the others do not understand. He does not admit that he is doing anything wrong. Gibbs ignores the snubs but drops remarks that show he is, at some level, hurt by Ducky's actions and puzzled by them. Ducky is fascinated by Ziva and when she displays her knowledge of killing methods, he is invites her for dinner rather than display revulsion. Ducky is tougher minded than his demeanour would indicate. He has seen active service. He has had to break the news of the death of loved ones twice to the families: and prefers combat to such duties. Ducky is not quick on the uptake about the activities of Mr Palmer with Agent Lee: perhaps he cannot imagine anyone wanting to have sex on autopsy tables or, more bizarrely, under them on the storage shelf used for catching the body fluids.
Season 5: Ducky solves the mystery over the body in Tony's car...it's not Tony! He realises this by noting that the deceased has good lungs whereas Tony's must be scarred from plague-induced pneumonia. Claims Tony's Mighty Mouse stapler when they think Tony is dead and bashfully returns it to the "dear fellow" when he turns up alive. He is trusted with Jenny's secret. He cannot keep the secret from Gibbs. He dislikes the cover-up required to hide what happened to Jenny, what Gibbs did, what Franks did, and what Tony and Ziva didn't do....
Season 6:
Season 7:

Season 1:

His parents divorced, in an era when that would have been unacceptable. Ducky served in the British military, and saw service in Vietnam (although that might have been with a different military flag as the Brits were not a big part of that war). His education was at Eton (rich, posh) and Edinburgh (famed for medicine, a very old school). He has a network of friends around the USA and the world in coroners and medical examiners. He likes ballet such as Giselle and operas such as La Forza del Destino (The Force of Destiny), history and psychology. He regrets not having children and is unwaveringly dutiful to his mother's care. His mother was 95 two seasons ago at least. He aspired to academia but then thought that it would be awful to be droning on all day telling stories. He is fit and nimble, able to get to a body no matter how inconveniently located and is a have-a-go hero when dealing with recalcitrant youth. He still has an eye for the ladies.
Was held as a hostage in his own autopsy room by Ari. He exhibited a great desire to kill Ari, even then. (I want that terrorist on my slab, Jethro.) His assistant, Gerald, wears earphones whilst working so that he doesn't have to listen to the stories. Ducky is afraid that he bores people: to which Kate, Tony and Gibbs give a resounding, untruthful "no". He lacks self-awareness.

Season 2:

We learn that Ducky has only had one Jane Doe, and he kept her ashes for 10 years in hope of finding out who she was. Still lives with his 96 year old mother. Studied medicine in Scotland at same university as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Edinburgh University medical school.
He attended Eton, a boys school where the uniform is the type of suit that men usually only wear to weddings (morning coats with tails, waistcoats, wing collars with bow ties). It is for the seriously rich and many aristocrats send their sons there. Ducky played cricket (although he was 12th man (the reserve batsman)).
Ducky drinks tea, made properly with loose leaves in a teapot. He maintains traditions. He likes bow ties (old Etonian).

Season 3:

Ducky refuses to let anyone else do Kate's autopsy and he is mindful of her modesty by keeping her covered. He mourns the fact that she didn't kill Ari when she had the chance. Ducky becomes worried by Gibbs' obsession over Ari. Ducky keeps an eye on Gibbs' mental health.
Ducky studies for a master's degree in forensic psychology so that he can opine on the mental condition of killers and victims. Palmer helps him study for the exams. Palmer proves to be an excellent apprentice to Ducky, being serious about his scientific and medical studies and happy to listen to Ducky's stories, finding in them a rich vein of knowledge instead of a shortcut to boredom. Palmer is intelligent enough to get the point of the stories and the knowledge, but doesn't understand why Ducky is compelled to tell the stories even when his audience has gone.

Season 4:

Ducky is angry over Gibbs' departure and frosty on his return. It is a side of his character that the others do not understand. He does not admit that he is doing anything wrong. Gibbs ignores the snubs but drops remarks that show he is, at some level, hurt by Ducky's actions and puzzled by them.
Ducky is fascinated by Ziva and when she displays her knowledge of killing methods, he is invites her for dinner rather than display revulsion. Ducky is tougher minded than his demeanour would indicate. He has seen active service. He has had to break the news of the death of loved ones twice to the families: and prefers combat to such duties. Ducky is not quick on the uptake about the activities of Mr Palmer with Agent Lee: perhaps he cannot imagine anyone wanting to have sex on autopsy tables or, more bizarrely, under them on the storage shelf used for catching the body fluids.

Season 5:

Ducky solves the mystery over the body in Tony's car...it's not Tony! He realises this by noting that the deceased has good lungs whereas Tony's must be scarred from plague-induced pneumonia. Claims Tony's Mighty Mouse stapler when they think Tony is dead and bashfully returns it to the "dear fellow" when he turns up alive.
He is trusted with Jenny's secret. He cannot keep the secret from Gibbs. He dislikes the cover-up required to hide what happened to Jenny, what Gibbs did, what Franks did, and what Tony and Ziva didn't do....

Season 6:

Season 7:

TRIVIA:

UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTER QUOTES

"Reminds me of this one time..."
Gibbs: "you pushed him off a cliff"
Ducky: "There was water below it"
Gibbs: "It was 60ft down"
Jimmy: "Dr Mallard gave chase and caught them"
Ducky: "Come, come, Mr Palmer. It's not as if they were real ninjas".
Ducky: "Sorry we're late, Jethro. Gerald got lost again."
Gerald: "Doctor, you had the map!".
Ducky: "You gave it to me"
Gibbs (regarding Ducky's interest in women which surprises Kate): "He is older, Kate, not dead."

DEFINING EPISODES | MEMORABLE SCENES

When Kate has to 'babysit' Ducky and his mother at their house, when an ex-con (whom Ducky helped convict) starts killing off the key players in that conviction, Kate asks Gibbs what Ducky looked like when he was young. Gibbs pauses and answers "Illya Kuryakin".
In another episode, Kate, Tony and Gibbs meet a fake colonel who is trying to prevent the team from investigating the deaths of two marines who were on undercover intelligence operations in South America. When they realise the colonel was an impostor, they try to tell Abby the details of what he looked like, so that she can make a composite photo on her computer. Kate and Tony disagree so much that Kate volunteers to do paperwork instead. She goes away and actually sketches the man they are looking for. Meanwhile, Gibbs and Abby continue with the attempt to do it on computer. By the time Kate returns, we hear Gibbs and Tony saying "Yeah, that looks like him!". We are surprised, thinking that they have made a picture of the villain. When the computer screen is turned around, it is a picture of Ducky, as a young Illya Kuryakin, and Gibbs is saying "Yeah, that's Ducky".
When Gibbs retires, Ducky regards it as a betrayal of his duty. Ducky considers that Gibbs has quit. When Gibbs returns, he gets a frosty reception from Ducky: they indicate this by scrupulous politeness with each other and very formal modes of address. But eventually Ducky approaches Gibbs at the end of a long day that has brought back memories of old times. Ducky admits that there is something that he should have told Gibbs long ago, and that is "Welcome back". He holds out his hand to shake hands. Gibbs rises and comes around the desk, saying "You know how I feel about apologies", to which Ducky replies "They're a sign of weakness". And for once Gibbs says "Not between friends. I am sorry Ducky. I should have told you (about his dead wife and child)." and they shake hands which becomes a hug. And Gibbs whispers "Thank you". It is the closest we ever see Gibbs to social convention with a man. Which is indicative of how close the friendship between Ducky and Gibbs really is. One would go so far as to say they are probably best friends.
When a Navy commander's head is found in the trunk/boot of a stolen car, Gibbs and Ducky unite in trying to find the rest of the man's body. When they have caught the bad guys, they realise that they have to choose between honouring a promise to the widow (to have the man's ashes returned in time for them to be scattered at sea from his last ship) or to keep the body for evidence, as they ought. Without having to speak, they agree to honour the promise to the widow and Ducky gleefully sneaks out with Gibbs to take the remains to the crematorium.
When Ducky is tied down by a dastardly criminal who is going to embalm him alive, by exsanguinating him first, it is Gibbs who arrives in time and helps Ducky pull out the needle and holds him up. Ducky's response is "what took you so long", which merely causes Gibbs to chuckle at the ingratitude for arriving at all.
Ducky's mother, Mrs Mallard, is even more of a character (eccentric) than Ducky. She is senile but chipper. She tells tales of her Donald as if he were still a young man and still hopes for grandchildren. She goes wandering and, when carers do not appear, Ducky has to bring her to work. Ducky is exasperated by her but also very fond of her. He regrets videotaping an episode of a TV show for her once, as she now watches that one episode every day.
Ducky keeps corgis. He lives in a lovely house in the classic American style. It would suit Savannah Georgia in its graciousness.
When Jen and Gibbs were partners in France, Jen allowed Gibbs to be arrested by the French police, but then helped him and Ducky escape by boat to England.
Ducky knows, when he hears of Gibbs' wife and child death, that Gibbs has already killed the murderer. He knows Gibbs well enough to know that he would not let the killer live.
Ducky keeps a special eye on Abby. He and she have mutual respect, but Ducky will not tolerate accusations of being wrong: he is too careful in his work. When there is a conflict of evidence, Ducky stands by his science.

Ducky's Ditty on realizing “He’s never had the damned plague!” (re “Bury Your Dead” 5.01) (Tune: "I could have danced all night" from "My Fair Lady") This body’s lungs are fine (I think it so divine I want to dance and sing for joy) I rush upstairs to tell The team that Tony’s well (The dead man’s not our boy!) I really know I shouldn’t be excited When someone's life has been destroyed: I only know when he Proved to be plague-free I had to sing "he's no-o-o-o-ot our bo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oy!"

In the early 1990s, a Dr. Donald Duck was practicing medicine on the Scottish mainland, just south of the Isle of Skye. The brass plate on his surgery was an unofficial tourist attraction in the town. Dr. Ducky Mallard is not as unlikely a name as it first sounds.

PHOTOS

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MargyW	Latest page update: made by MargyW , Oct 12 2009, 3:33 PM EDT (about this update About This Update Edited by MargyW 13 words added view changes - complete history)
	Keyword tags: coroner david mccallum donald ducky Ducky Mallard ducky's song medical examiner NCIS More Info: links to this page

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firesing

mistakes

Aug 22 2009, 10:16 AM EDT by firesing

Thread started: Aug 22 2009, 10:16 AM EDT Watch

in quotes it wasn't Gerald who said you has the map, it was palmer.

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jakacobr

Something happy and something sad

Jun 1 2009, 4:50 AM EDT by bellswebster

Thread started: Jan 14 2009, 9:31 AM EST Watch

He is NCIS's very own cartoon character. A remake and remolding of the name Donald Duck. I'm happy that he finally got a real story line, but it breaks my heart that it has to be such a horrible one, I hope that he recovers well.

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jafariss

Ducky's bow ties

May 18 2009, 5:53 PM EDT by jafariss

Thread started: May 18 2009, 5:53 PM EDT Watch

Anyone know what brand of bow ties Ducky wears? i thought i saw him wearing one on an episode that i own, and want to know if its the same brand

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Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard

Donald "Ducky" Mallard is played by David McCallum

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