‘NCIS: Origins’ Enlists Adam Campbell to Reprise Young Ducky Role

CBS’ NCIS: Origins will bring another character from its parent series into the fold in its forthcoming second season.

Adam Campbell will reprise his NCIS guest role as the younger version of Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard in an episode of the 1990s-set Origins. The episode will also pay tribute to the late David McCallum, who played Ducky for 20 seasons on NCIS.

“We wanted to do this episode to honor the memory of our dear friend David McCallum. He was a beloved member of the NCIS family for so many years, and we’re incredibly lucky to have the talented Adam Campbell back to bring the younger version of this iconic character to life once again,” co-showrunners Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North said in a statement. “We even got to feature David’s music in the episode. We’re all very excited and can’t wait for the fans to see it.”

Campbell has played the younger Ducky in flashbacks on four episodes of NCIS, most recently in 2020. In the Origins episode, titled “The Edge,” Ducky arrives at Camp Pendleton to shadow the team while they work a case. In the process, he reconnects with Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Austin Stowell) after the two crossed paths years earlier. It’s set to air in the fall, though an exact date hasn’t been announced.

Season two of NCIS: Origins will premiere Oct. 14 on CBS. Monreal and North executive produce with Mark Harmon — who played Gibbs for 19 seasons on NCIS — and Sean Harmon.