Joan Collins Shares Throwback Photo of First Boyfriend David McCallum After His Death
90-year-old Joan Collins is reminiscing after the news broke that David McCallum, best known for his roles in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and NCIS, had died at the age of 90. Collins shared a throwback photo from the set of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and revealed that he was her first boyfriend. Not only did the pair work together on the show where McCallum played a secret agent and Collins played Baroness Bibi De Chasseur/Rosy Shlagenheimer but they also attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
She wrote, alongside the photo, “So sad that #davidmccallum – my first boyfriend at #rada – has died. A fine #actor a great #talent and a true #gentleman. Loved working with him on #manfromuncle #rip #ripdavidmccallum” Many fans shared their condolences and stories of how he was their very first crush and an excellent actor.
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His family confirmed the news that he died of natural causes at New York Presbyterian Hospital. They wrote, “David was a gifted actor and author, and beloved by many around the world. He led an incredible life, and his legacy will forever live on through his family and the countless hours on film and television that will never go away.”
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This wasn’t the first time that Collins opened up about dating McCallum. She wrote about him in her memoir, “Passion for Life,” which was released back in 2013. She wrote, “When I first saw sixteen year old David McCallum at RADA, I thought he must be related to one of my favourite actors, Richard Widmark. They had the same blond floppy hair, pale complexion and light eyes. We dated briefly, nothing too heavy, and then he went on to date and eventually marry Jill Ireland, who eventually left him for Charles Bronson.”
Remind She noted that her time at the academy was one full of other romances too. Collins has been married five times and has been with her current husband, Percy Gibson since 2002. McCallum had been married to Katherine Carpenter since 1967 until his death. They had two children together and he had three children from his previous marriage to Ireland. He also had six grandchildren. May he rest in peace.