Los Angeles Times: "David McCallum from 'U.N.C.L.E.' talks about NCIS and his glory days as a spy"

- August 19, 2015

(Cliff Lipson / CBS)

David McCallum from 'U.N.C.L.E.' talks about NCIS and his glory days as a spy

It was like a scene out of the classic 1964-'68 NBC spy series "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." David McCallum, who played the sexy, suave Russian spy Illya Kuryakin, was in New York for a personal appearance at Macy's during the height of the series' popularity. He was slated to autograph copies of one of his popular albums in which he conducted instrumental versions of new and old songs.

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He recently saw the new film version of "The Man From U.N.C.L E.," which opened Friday to mixed reviews and a mediocre box office estimated at $13.5 million in the U.S. and Canada. Directed by Guy Ritchie, the film stars Armie Hammer as Illya, Henry Cavill as agent Napoleon Solo, who was played by Robert Vaughn in the series, and Hugh Grant as their boss-in-waiting Alexander Waverly, portrayed by Leo G. Carroll on the TV show.

"Guy Ritchie and [co-screenwriter] Lionel Wigram have done a great script that in no way encroaches on anything Leo, Robert and I did," he said. "In a way, it's a tribute to what we did, which was very special. They have used a little bit of the camp, but they haven't overdone it. Seventy to 80% of the people in the United States who go to this movie never saw or ever heard of the series."

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